MIC Johor cancels Deepavali celebration, open house

Deepavali in Johor will be a subdued affair for MIC in the state as a mark of respect for victims who perished in the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) fire on Tuesday.

Johor MIC Liaison chief Datuk M. Asojan said it was also to respect the decision of the party's central leadership to cancel Deepavali celebrations and open houses in Kuala Lumpur.

"The fire incident at HSA's intensive care unit is saddening and heartbreaking; we should show our respect to the dead and their families," he told Bernama when contacted.

In the incident at 9am, six patients warded in the ICU died while one patient was safely brought out. Three HSA staff sustained injuries and are receiving treatment at Sultan Ismail Hospital.

The dead were K. Logeswaran, 20; Choo Lin Fung, 37; Toh Ah Wah, 60; Yusof Hassan, 53; M. Kaliama, 23; and C. Neeramala Devi, 24.

Asojan, who is an MIC Supreme Council member and Gambir state assemblyman had earlier planned to hold an open house for his constituency at Dewan Serbaguna Bukit Gambir on Nov 5.

Meanwhile, he said the party would visit the families of the six victims, "a few days after Deepavali", which is celebrated tomorrow.

Funds that the party had reserved for the open houses would instead be presented to the families, he added. - Bernama