FCAS: Don't hold large-scale CNY gathering, celebration

KOTA KINABALU: Concerned with continuous spike in Covid-19 cases, the Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) has implored Chinese community and organizations in the state to temporarily refrain from organising activities and programs which involve gathering of big crowd, during the coming Lunar New Year celebrations.

Its President, Tan Sri T.C Goh said since Chinese community worldwide, Malaysia included, will be celebrating their Chinese New Year in the midst of a pandemic, it is important that they continue to abide by the government issued Movement Control Order (MCO) and all the mandated Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), in order to safeguard public and individual health.

He thus announced that for the first time, FCAS will not be organising its annual Chinese New Year gathering and Chinese New Year Carnival, during the coming Chinese New Year celebrations.

“Such a decision is really inevitable, for the sake of public health and safety,” he said.

Goh who is also the President of the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong) expressed this while presiding over the meeting of FCAS central committee, which was conducted online, on Sunday. Also in attendance were its three vice presidents, Datuk Susan Wong, Kapitan Fung Chun Fatt and Shirley Wong, its Secretarygeneral Datuk Yong Soo Pin and his deputy, Ng Shi Chung, treasurer-general, David Chang, and his deputy, Chen Ee Sheng, among others.

For the same reason, FCAS also decided to postpone its annual international dragon boat race for this year, he added.

Nevertheless, he implored the State government to maintain its annual allocations for organising FCAS Chinese New Year Carnival and International Dragon Boat Race, so that it could have sufficient funds to carry out other relevant activities, as well as for the purchase of new/additional dragon boats for future events.

Meanwhile, Goh also welcomed and supported the State government's announcement of a RM128.98 million Covid-19 aid package named “Prihatin COVID-19 2.0 Assistance”, to help Sabahans to better cope with the devastating impact of the Movement Control Order (MCO) 2.0.

In making the announcement on Saturday, Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor highlighted that out of the said figure, RM97.4 million is from the State coffer and to be given to 324,661 people in the state, where each person will receive a oneoff assistance of RM300. The recipients are from the B40 group, e-Kasih beneficiaries, orphans, senior citizens, single mothers, farmers, disabled people, tourist guides, taxi drivers and hawkers, among others.

The remaining RM31.58 million, which comes under the National Disaster Management Agency, will be for the provision of food baskets for people affected by quarantine orders at their homes, or localities placed under enhanced MCO.

“If the situation continues to deteriorate, we hope the Federal government could immediately step in to ramp up the aids,” said Goh.

He also hoped during the pandemic, the State government could pay due attention to assist the Chinese community, especially Chinese schools and community-run welfare organizations like old folks homes and child care centres, so that they could get through this trying time of unprecedented magnitude.