Reunion dinners with limited attendance given green light under revised SOPs

Reunion dinners will now be allowed under revised SOPs for Chinese New Year although attendance will be limited to 15 family members living within a 10km radius with inter-district and interstate travel still prohibited.

In a statement today, the national unity ministry said the decision was made at a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) chaired by Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Religious activities at temples will also be allowed on Feb 11, 12 and 19 subject to strict SOPs including a limit of 30 people on the premises at any one time. Face masks must be worn and physical distancing observed.

Prayer sessions may run for 30 minutes with half-hour intervals for sanitation work before the next session begins.

Prayers can be held from 6am until 2pm.

Religious activities on Feb 19 for the Hokkien New Year celebrations can be held at home at night.

Ismail previously said that reunion dinners could only be held among family members living in the same house.

He also said prayers at temples, house-to-house visits, inter-district or interstate travel to visit family members and friends as well as lion dance, dragon dance, lantern parades, Chinese opera and stage performances would not be allowed.

The national unity ministry later said it would bring the views and appeals of the Chinese community regarding SOPs on family reunion dinners and temple prayers to the attention of the NSC.