PUTRAJAYA: There will be no “balik kampung” travel for those in conditional and enhanced movement control order (MCO) areas to celebrate Deepavali this year, says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
The Senior Minister (Security) said those celebrating the festival in the recovery and conditional MCO areas are allowed to attend special prayers, but only on the first day of the celebration, with strict standard operating procedure (SOP) in place.
He said the SOP was agreed by Hindu religious leaders during their meeting with the National Unity Minister recently.
Among the SOP for temple activities are for prayers to be held from 7am to noon in five sessions, with 30 minutes in between for the sanitisation process.
“We have also asked temples to prepare counters for registration and temperature checks and identify those with Covid-19 symptoms.
“Each prayer session is limited to 30 people and fewer if the temple is small, ” he said on Thursday (Nov 5).
Senior citizens, those with chronic illness and children under the age of 12 are not encouraged to attend prayer sessions.
Ismail Sabri said that sweets are to be packed and distributed at the end of a prayer session.
He said in recovery and conditional MCO areas, up to 20 people are allowed to gather in landed properties at any one time during the celebration.
Those living in apartments of less than 1,500 sq ft can have no more than 10 guests and those living in units 2,500 sq ft and above can have a maximum of 15 guests at one time.
Ismail Sabri said that prayers at temples are not allowed in enhanced MCO zones and the festival can only be celebrated with family members who are residing in the same house.
“House visits for Deepavali are not allowed in enhanced MCO areas, ” he said.
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