New SOP throws Thaipusam preparations into chaos

Finishing touches: Volunteers putting up the decoration items on the golden chariot at the Hilltop Temple in Jalan Kebun Bunga.

GEORGE TOWN: Thaipusam preparations in Penang have become chaotic with a change of standard operating procedure (SOP) that has caught the organisers unawares.

They have now been forced to scramble to make changes to conform to the rules which state that only 100 people can follow the chariot, and that only 3,000 people can enter the temple between 5am and 5pm.