JOHOR BARU: The annual Chingay festival will go on this year on a smaller scale after obtaining the green light from the National Security Council (NSC).

       Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat said only 100 to 220 fully-vaccinated participants were allowed throughout the four-day festival from Feb 19 to 22 to mark the end of the Chinese New Year celebration for Johoreans.

       “The organisers have to follow strict standard operating procedure during this period and only association committee members whose names have been approved by the police can participate in order to keep everyone safe.

       “Several main roads in the city centre will be temporarily closed in stages to give way to the celebration and alternative routes will be made available to prevent traffic congestion.

       “A total of 361 police officers and personnel will be on duty throughout all four days to man the traffic and streets to ensure all parties comply with the SOP,” he told a press conference after meeting the Johor Baru Tiong-Hua Association about the Chingay SOP here on Wednesday (Feb 16).

       The festival will start off with a street-cleaning ceremony on Feb 19 to give way to the deities from five main Chinese dialect clans to be brought out of the Johor Ancient Temple to Xin Gong (on Feb 20), a holding place for them to “stay” overnight before they are brought out again the next day for a tour of the city.

       ACP Raub said the climax of the festival is on Feb 21 (Monday), when deities will be paraded on 21 decorated lorries along a 7km route, with a maximum participation of 220 association members.

       Finally, on Feb 22, the deities will be brought from Xin Gong back to the Johor Ancient Temple to mark the end of the festival, he said.

       He reminded the public not to congregate or conduct business along the procession route to avoid unnecessary police action.

       “The public should refrain from engaging in political activities or making provoking statements that could lead to conflicts and fights.

       “Police presence will be visible throughout and we will give a reminder at first followed by a warning.

       “If found going against the SOP for the third time, we will not hesitate to issue a compound notice,” he said, adding that the event would be monitored by the Health Ministry, National Unity and Integration Department and NSC.

       Some of the roads that will be temporarily closed during the period are Jalan Trus, where the Johor Ancient Temple is located, Jalan Gereja, Jalan Ngee Heng, Jalan Ulu Ayer Molek, Jalan Yahya Awal and Jalan Gertak Merah.

       Last year, the festival was done internally behind closed doors by temple and association committee members due to the Covid-19 pandemic.