Dr Penguang Manggil
MIRI: Limiting visits to just the first day of festivals and restricting the number of visitors to 20 persons is a bitter pill to swallow but necessary to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing Datu Dr Penguang Manggil said.
He was referring to the standard operating procedure (SOP) laid down by the National Security Council for the Hari Raya and Gawai Dayak celebrations this year under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), which also limits visitors to immediate family members.
Separately, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah as the chairman of the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) had said SDMC had decided to allow open house visits during the two celebrations but only for one day in line with the earlier decision announced by the federal government, which also required visitors who must be also close family members to only 20 people.
“Under the existing circumstances we don’t have any choice but to painfully forego all the usual formalities and begin our journey into the future following the new norms so that this world will become a better place for all.
“Therefore the coming Hari Raya Aidil Fitri and Gawai Dayak celebrations, which we have always been looking forward to, will not be the same as that we are so used to,” Penguang said.
The Marudi assemblyman conceded that he was a bit disappointed with the cancellation of the Gawai Dayak Open House at Beluru Community Hall, about 76 km from Miri City, and Hari Raya Aidifiltri events, but said this step had be taken for the sake of everybody’s health.
On behalf of his family, Penguang wished all their Muslim friends ‘Selamat menyabut Hari Raya Adilfitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin’ and ‘Selamat Gawai Dayak, Gayu Guru, Gerai Nyamai, Lantang Senang’ to the Dayak community in Sarawak, particularly in his constituency.