A beautiful tradition

The open house is a unique Malaysian tradition, and one of the most special events in our festive calendar is the Prime Minister’s open house. — The Star

RECENTLY the PM announced that all government agencies, government-linked companies and government-linked investment agencies are not to hold any Raya open houses. This is in the light of the global economic crisis sparked by the war in West Asia which has elevated costs necessitating prudence in our spending.

I have no argument with this. It is the wisest thing to do given the huge size of these open houses and the obvious expense in catering and entertainment and whatever else. There is little sign that the war is ending anytime soon so our belt-tightening will undoubtedly be ongoing for a while. It’s depressing all round, but we must stand in solidarity with the people of Iran, Lebanon and Palestine who are suffering much more than us on any given day.