CORONAVIRUS | MCA president Wee Ka Siong has urged the Chinese community in Malaysia to observe the upcoming Qing Ming festival at home during the movement control order (MCO) period.

In a posting uploaded to his Facebook account this afternoon, the transport minister said that performing rites in honour of ancestors at home during the festival on April 4 is necessary in order to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and break the chain of infections.

During the annual festival, members of the community conduct traditional tomb-sweeping as part of rites to honour their ancestors and pray for blessings for the younger generation.

“The Chinese tradition of performing rituals and paying respects to our ancestors and deceased loved ones during Qing Ming is something that all cabinet members, including the prime minister, respect.

“However, Qing Ming falls on April 4 this year, coinciding with the MCO. In order to effectively prevent the spread of Covid-19, we sincerely request all Malaysians to stay home and break the chains of infection...