Christmas celebration in the Federal Territory allowed

KUALA LUMPUR: Activities at non-Muslim houses of worship in the Federal Territory in conjunction with the Christmas celebration are allowed based on the attendance limit set by the National Security Council (NSC) , Health Ministry and the Federal Territories Ministry.

Kuala Lumpur Department of National Unity and Integration, in a statement, said the permission is in line with the standard operating procedures (SOP) and protocols on the Christmas celebration issued by NSC for the period during the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) and the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).

Attendance for prayers is allowed up to a third of the capacity of the houses of worship or not more than 30 people per session, it said.

Last Friday, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that open houses and carrolling in conjunction with the Christmas celebrations are not allowed throughout the country.

However, those celebrating the occasion are allowed to perform prayer ceremonies on Dec 24 and 25 in the areas under the RMCO and CMCO.

These are among the SOP for the festival which also stipulates that visiting each other's houses is only allowed on the first day (Dec 25) in areas where the RMCO and CMCO are being enforced.

-- BERNAMA