YANG di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah conveyed greetings to those celebrating Vishu, the Tamil new year and Vaisakhi.

“Happy Vishu and Happy Tamil New Year. Happy New Year to all our Malayalee and Tamil friends. We wish you a prosperous, peaceful and joyous year ahead.

“Although times are tough right now, we will get through as a nation. Keep the hope and courage alive and together we shall prevail. Stay home and stay safe,” they said in a post on Istana Negara’s official  Instagram account.

To those celebrating Vaisakhi, the royal couple said: “Happy Vaisakhi to all our Punjabi friends! We wish you a year filled with happiness, blessings and prosperity. Be strong, stay home and stay safe as we go through these trying times.”

“We may be apart from all our loved ones right now, but we are together as one nation as we battle this pandemic. It will get better and we will ensure as a family, as one country, as Malaysians.” 

The Tamil new year is the first day of the year in the Tamil calendar, while Malayalees celebrate the Vishu festival.

Vaisakhi, celebrated yesterday, marks the Punjabi and Sikh new year and is also a spring harvest festival. – Bernama, April 14, 2020.