Perak Sultan orders cancellation of New Year festivities

The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, today ordered the cancellation of all scheduled entertainment programmes to usher in the New Year in view of the floods that have struck Perak, along with four other states.

He also ordered all mosques in the state to hold 'solat hajat' prayers after the Friday prayers tomorrow to seek God's compassion to ease the burden of the people and return the situation in the flood-hit areas to normalcy.

The Sultan Azlan Shah Foundation would contribute two pairs of school uniform and shoes to every pupil and student from among the flood victims, he said in a statement issued by his office.

The statement was issued after Sultan Nazrin Shah and the Raja Permaisuri Perak, Tuanku Zara Salim, attended a briefing on the flood situation in Perak and visited flood relief centres this morning.

On the cancellation of the entertainment programmes, the Sultan said that they also included those organised by the state government or state government agencies.

As of this morning, 4,335 people from 1,079 families affected by the floods had been moved to 43 relief centres in the districts of Kuala Kangsar, Hulu Perak and Perak Tengah.