KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 — Malaysians can only receive 20 visitors at their home during Hari Raya at most, and only on the first day, Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.
The senior defence minister explained that visits are limited to family members who can only come by on the first day of the Muslim festive season, while visits are prohibited on other days.
“Having said that, the rule of 20 people must also take into account the size of the house,” Ismail Sabri told a press conference.
“If it’s a 600 sq ft house, maybe 20 people at a time is too many and will make social distancing in the house impossible. So, maybe they can do it five, five, five [people] four times. But the maximum is 20 people for that one day.”
He also said although the government has given Malaysians the freedom to meet people under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) until June 9, he advised Malaysians to celebrate Hari Raya only with their family members living in the same house if possible.
“Although we say that our closest relatives can come by from other places, but to safeguard our own safety, we must make our own stand on who can celebrate with us,” said Ismail Sabri.
He pointed out that a family of 16 in Bahrain tested positive for Covid-19 after breaking fast together.
The minister also cited an American family in New Jersey, where four of them died from coronavirus after having a meal together.
The New York Times reported last March that the coronavirus killed a 73-year-old woman and three of her children, while three other children were hospitalised. A family dinner gathering at the matriarch’s home in central New Jersey was believed to be the source of the infection.
