You probably would have known by now that Malaysia already has 673 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and they reported two deaths yesterday.
Malaysia currently has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia, and in order to prevent the further spread of the highly contagious virus, they have decided to impose stricter measures.
Very, very strict measures.
That includes new travel restrictions in which they are putting the whole country in lockdown.
The causeway border between Singapore and Malaysia last night was jam-packed with commuters choosing to stay in Singapore for the next two weeks because from 18 to 31 March, Malaysia will be barring any of their citizens from leaving the country, and all foreigners will be denied entry into their grounds.
Photos flooded social media of how long the queues at the checkpoints were. Many people even crossed the border by walking with their large suitcases.
This is a time of a lot of confusion and panic, and while we may think that these travel restrictions are the only strict measures in place, the Malaysian Health Ministry has just clarified something.
Can Weddings & Funerals Still Be Held?
According to the Health Ministry in a posting on its “Sihat Milikku” Telegram channel (I don’t know about you but it’s cool that the authorities use Telegram!), a lot of people have been asking if weddings and funerals like gathering for tahlil prayers and the deceased can still be held between 18 March and 31 March.
I mean, I planned my entire wedding in advance. I know the COVID-19 situation is bad, but surely I can still go ahead with my happy day right?
Well, no, the Ministry has confirmed that these events will not be allowed because “they are social gatherings”.
It’s pretty common that during weddings and funerals, there will be quite a large number of people gathering together. As such, when so many people congregate, it makes it easier for the deadly virus to spread.
That’s how clusters are formed, right? It just takes one person who is symptomatic to still turn up for the event and boom, new cluster.
That’s also exactly what happened in Singapore. Although it wasn’t a wedding or a funeral, the private dinner function held at Safra Jurong was attended by at least one person who was symptomatic, and thus, it led to an outbreak of infections.
So it is best if you postpone your wedding, or you can do it the way this Malaysian couple did by having a “drive-through” wedding ceremony.
There was social distancing practised at all times, and the couple did not come into direct contact with any of their guests. Their guests remained in their cars while the newlyweds greeted them from outside.
While we all understand that this is something very unfortunate, especially for people holding funerals because you would want to send your loved one off with as many people as you can to honour their lives, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Will I Get In Trouble If I Still Hold A Wedding Or Funeral Anyway?
Simply put, yes.
What kind of trouble will I get into?
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According to the Provisions in Section 11(4) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 along with Section 24(2) of the same Act, choosing to gather for a wedding or a funeral during this period of 18 to 31 March will be deemed as a criminal offence and will therefore be punishable by the law.
The Health Ministry also said that those who chose not to obey the government’s Movement Control Order could be subjected to up to two years of jail term and a fine once convicted of the offence.
So whether you’re in Singapore or Malaysia or in Mars, just follow the rules and your grandchildren will thank you for combatting the COVID-19 like a boss.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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