JOHOR BARU: Chingay procession organisers have been told to write an official letter to the National Unity Ministry for the event to be considered by the government.

       National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique said there was a misunderstanding about whether Thaipusam and Chingay could be held next year following her answer in the Dewan Rakyat on Dec 7.

       Before any festive celebrations, a consultation panel would usually be held alongside other government agencies such as the Health Ministry and the police, she explained.

       “What I meant in Parliament in reply to Batu Gajah MP (Sivakumar Naidu), who enquired about the standard operating procedure for Thaipusam, was that in the prior discussions, one of the agencies suggested for such events to be disallowed due to the threat of the Covid-19 Omicron variant.

       “However, I told the panel that the decision for events to be banned or continued does not lie in my ministry and I do not have the jurisdiction to do that,” she said after attending a Thaipusam SOP discussion with Hindu temple representatives at the Sri Subramaniar Temple in Tampoi yesterday.

       As such, she urged associations that organise the Chingay festival, in conjunction with Chinese New Year, to write an official letter to her so that discussions could be held soon.

       She added that all proposals on festivities SOP must be brought to, among others, the National Security Council and National Recovery Council for consideration.

       Meanwhile, Halimah said the SOP guideline for the Thaipusam celebration was expected to be tabled for approval in the first week of January, ahead of the festival on Jan 18 next year.