Galen Centre advises against holding Ramadan bazaars
CORONAVIRUS | A think-tank has recommended that the federal and state governments not allow Ramadan bazaars this year.
In a statement, Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy president Azrul Mohd Khalib said it would be premature to make any preparation or have expectations for Ramadan bazaars or tarawih prayers.
CORONAVIRUS | A think-tank has recommended that the federal and state governments not allow Ramadan bazaars this year.
In a statement, Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy president Azrul Mohd Khalib said it would be premature to make any preparation or have expectations for Ramadan bazaars or tarawih prayers.
He said this was because Malaysia has yet to see a proper projection of the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak and that the number of pending Covid-19 cases are still expected to be high.
This includes the thousands involved in a religious gathering in Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur in late February - the source of the biggest single cluster of Covid-19 cases in Malaysia - which are still unaccounted for.
"It would be tragic if the decision to hold food bazaars and tarawih prayers during the Ramadan month would result in more Covid-19 infections and loss of lives.
"It would mean that the months of sacrifice and efforts of the women and men of the Health Ministry and all our frontliners to contain the outbreak would be in vain," said Azrul.
He said Malaysia should adopt Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah's approach of "prepare for the worst, hope for the best" and err on the side of caution.
"Until at least the end of this month and possibly even the first half of May, any activity that involves large numbers of people in close contact, where social distancing cannot reliably be carried out, should not be held," said Azrul.
He said that even if the federal government did not extend the movement control order beyond April 14, it would be too soon to assume that the possibility of another outbreak by the end of the month had been totally eliminated.
"It could be many weeks later before we can go back to what was normal," he said.
In view of this, he urged Putrajaya and the state governments to emulate the commitment by Terengganu, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan not to hold Ramadan bazaars this year.
Putrajaya has yet to decide on whether Ramadan bazaars, primarily selling food for those breaking fast in the evenings, would be held.
Noor Hisham said yesterday that it could happen with proper social distancing, good hygiene practices and proper spacing of stalls.
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