SUGGESTIONS for the Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOPs) at Chinese New Year reunion dinners in homes were made to the National Unity Ministry last month but did not appear in the version that was released to the public, Chinese associations said.

They also said while the ministry requested their views, they were not shown the SOPs before its release on February 4.

The proposals they gave on SOPs for reunion dinners, held on the eve of Chinese New Year, included a cap of 20 people comprising family members.

Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) representative Ng Geok Chee, who attended one dialogue session with the ministry, said the cap of 20 people was not meant in the sense of “only family members living together”, as the current SOP states.

Ng also said that by 20 people, she meant family members living within a 10km radius, adding that this was the view of most representatives at the meeting.

The Han Culture Centre Malaysia had also suggested to the ministry to allow up to 20 family members for the reunion dinner.

“Our president had suggested allowing 20 immediate family members only for reunion dinner,” said Mini Goh, the centre’s managing director.

She added that the consultation was just a discussion on Chinese New Year celebrations, and not a meeting to set the SOPs. No decision was made or voting carried out in the discussion.

“The public must understand that we non-profit organisations just gave our suggestions,” she said, adding that the ministry’s officer who led the online consultation did well in listening to proposals.

Johari Yap, vice-president of Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (MACMA) said the current SOP for reunion dinners is “ridiculous”.

“There is no ‘reunion’ in that. We hope the government will consider allowing five to 10 people from the same district to have reunion dinner together depending on the size of the house.”

He added that he was not even aware that the discussion with the ministry was about setting SOPs for Chinese New Year.

“When we were invited by the ministry for the online meeting, it was focused more on SOPs for worship venues under the various levels of movement controls,” Johari said.

Thirty groups were named by the national unity ministry in a statement on February 5, a day after public furore at the government over the SOPs, which many deemed insensitive to the Chinese community.

The SOP, announced by senior minister and National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Ismail Sabri Yaakob on February 4, limits reunion dinners and visits to people of the same household.

It also prohibits interstate travel, cultural activities such as dragon dances, lion dances, Chinese opera and stage performances and lantern parades and also prayers at houses of worship.

These rules were originally to be in force on February 12 and 13, the first and second day of Chinese New Year, which traditionally lasts 14 days. The dates were later amended to February 11, 12 and 19.

The SOPs have been mocked since they were announced, with many shocked at the government’s ignorance that reunion dinners are held on Chinese New Year’s eve, not the first or second day. Others have also pointed out the lack of common sense in limiting a reunion dinner and visits to people of the same household.

Some of the cultural activities listed, they said, such as Chinese opera, stage performances and lantern parades, aren’t even Chinese New Year activities.

The ministry said two online consultations were held, on January 12 and 18.

MACMA had attended the session on January 12, which The Malaysian Insight learnt was more focused on SOPs at non-Muslim houses of worship for services and prayer during Chinese New Year.

KLSCAH and the Han Culture Centre were at the second session on January 18, where the matter of reunion dinners was discussed.

KLSCAH, in a statement, said that in effect, the NSC had rejected proposals made to the national unity ministry on capping the reunion dinner at 20 people from the same family living within 10km of each other was raised but not adopted in the SOP.

The ministry was only responsible for consulting groups on SOP proposals, for the NSC’s final approval.

“Therefore, we refute the government’s statement that this is the result of consensus with the 21 groups,” KLSCAH said, referring to Ismail Sabri’s statement that the SOP had been thoroughly discussed with the 21 groups.

The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong) has even denied that it was ever invited to attend a consultation session with the national unity ministry.

KLSCAH chief executive Ong Ooi Heng told The Malaysian Insight that the consultation could have been arranged more professionally.

“In the future, the government should send a formal invitation through the official email of the associations in regards to important meetings like the setting of the SOP.  

“This time, it seems they gathered the phone numbers of individuals from the different associations and (called them) to a meeting,” he said.

The other associations the ministry said it consulted are the Malaysian Buddhist Association, Buddhist Missionaries Society Malaysia, Taoism Religion Association Malaysia, Lutheran Church of Malaysia, Fo Guang Shan, Federation of Taoist Associations Malaysia, Christian Federation of Malaysia, New Evangelical Christian Foundation, Bahai Community of Malaysia, Cheng Ho Multi Culture Education Trust, Malaysian Faith and Culture Interaction Kuala Lumpur, AKK Culture Pulau Pinang, Han Studies Association, Association of Chinese Chambers of Commerce Malaysia and the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

Christian groups in the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak were also consulted in the January 12 session, with the focus of discussion more on SOP for prayers and worship, as some Chinese-language churches do hold services on the first or second day of the lunar new year.

The current SOP for Chinese New Year states that no prayers or services can be held at temples or houses of worship, and that only five committee members of the house of worship can be present on site.

Ambrose Linang, the secretary-general of the Association of Churches in Sarawak, said churches in the state will continue to follow the SOP set by the state disaster management committee.

Sabah Council of Churches president Bishop James Wong said that the church groups were only asked for views on SOPs to control Covid-19 at houses of worship.

No draft of the Chinese New Year SOPs were shown to them after that, he said, adding that the discussion was “open and friendly”.

“Chinese New Year is very important for the Chinese, but now is the time to practise ‘loving our neighbours’, helping the economy recover and to build up the nation by following the SOP,” Wong added. – February 7, 2021.