No New Year's Eve countdown at Dataran Merdeka this year, says PM

PUTRAJAYA: There will be no countdown to the New Year at Dataran Merdeka on Dec 31, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“Due to the floods and issues faced by the people, we decided that big celebrations like the New Year’s Eve countdown are cancelled,” he said.

He added that there will be several announcements by the government on measures to facilitate business applications, among other matters.

“It (processing business applications) has to be faster and more efficient. Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali and I will facilitate this so that approvals can be made,” he added while speaking at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday (Dec 21).

Anwar also said there had been discussions on addressing the shortage of labour affecting several business sectors.

Anwar said the Human Resources Ministry and Home Ministry have been told to look into the matter which has affected the agricultural, services and construction sectors.

“Emphasis should be placed on these three sectors because delays in approvals have led to stagnation,” he added.