KUCHING, April l3: PKR national vice-women’s chief Voon Shiak Ni has called on the federal government to advise authorities against organising Ramadan bazaars in view of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Large-scale bazaars will attract big crowds and making it difficult to enforce social distancing. Approval for large-scale bazaars would spell disaster as the area could become a “breeding ground” to spread the coronavirus, she opined.
“We wish to remind the Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa that any forms of large-scale bazaars from now will defeat the efforts and sacrifices made by all quarters of the society to observe the movement control order (MCO) for one whole month.
“The ministry need to heed the call from the public and also the call by civil societies, for example the Academy of Medicine Malaysia (AMM), which strongly disagrees with Ramadan bazaars this year due to ongoing threat of Covid-19, which may last for months from now.
“We earnestly advise Annuar not to attempt the unnecessary and generate more fear and anxiety among the public during this trying times,” she said in a statement.
Annuar was reported as saying yesterday that no decision has been made whether Ramadan bazaars will be allowed to operate in the Federal Territories this year in light of Covid-19 outbreak.
He said the Health Ministry and National Security Council had to be consulted before a decision could be reached, while adding this would depend on the MCO.
On Tuesday (March 31), he said his ministry and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) were contemplating whether to approve any large-scale Ramadan bazaars after the MCO ends on April 14.
Meanwhile, Voon added that Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has taken drastic measures to exercise the MCO for one whole month in the efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.
She said it will be good to practice social distancing, avoid crowds and gatherings for the next few months until the global threat of Covid-19 is under control .
Voon believed the federal government need to give a serious thought to the frontliners who risk their lives to help the people and the nation.
The country cannot afford the third wave of Covid-19, she continued.
“I believe the government of the day know their priorities as the country had acted fast to order partial lockdown of the country and enforced the MCO to contain the spread before the numbers (of cases) gets big,” she added.
The first day of Ramadan this year is expected to fall on April 23. — DayakDaily
