KUALA LUMPUR: The lethal spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) has taken a heavy toll on major events in Malaysia with numerous cancellations and postponements.
Several organisers had yesterday announced the postponement of their events over fears of the outbreak.
They included Malaysia Automotive Robotics and IoT Institute’s ((MARii) Malaysia Autoshow 2020 and EcoWorld’s Women Summit 2020 by Eco World International Bhd.
MARii said the Malaysia Autoshow 2020, which was scheduled to take place on April 9 to April 12, 2020, had been postponed to July 2 to July 5 this eyar.
Malaysia’s largest annual automotive event is still scheduled to be held at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS).
“Taking into account various factors, MARii has decided to postpone the Malaysia Autoshow 2020, as a measure to safeguard the event’s participants, exhibitors, and potential visitors due to the recent global Covid-19 outbreak,” MARii officials said.
The EcoWorld Women’s Summit, which is scheduled to take place tomorrow (March 3) at Bukit Bintang City Centre, has been postponed until further notice.
In a statement, EcoWorld said this was due to the increased reports of new Covid-19 cases reported in the region.
“EcoWorld wished everyone a Happy Women’s Day in advance. Let us all stay vigilant and do our part to safeguard ourselves and the people around us,” it said.
Themed “Each for Equal”, the summit marks a continuation of a series of engagement workshops by EcoWorld for its Professional Women’s Network (PWN) which was launched on March 8, 2016 in conjunction with International Women’s Day.
“PWN includes all EcoWorld female employees and features a series of structured learning events to empower and help women realise their full potential on the professional front.”
The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) had also issued a cancellation notice of its press conference that was earlier scheduled on March 3 at 1100 am at Wisma Matta.
MATTA said the cancellation was made due to unforeseen circumstances related to the Covid-19 outbreak.
The press conference was supposed to highlight the issues faced by the travel agencies such as cancellations due to the outbreak.
The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) also postponed its media invitation on its annual media Conference 2020 scheduled on March 3.
“Due to the spread of Covid-19, Mida is taking extra precautionary measures to ensure the well being of our personnel and visitors. In this regard, the conference is postponed to a new date that will be determined later.”
On Sunday, Khazanah Nasional Bhd had informed that the Khazanah Annual Review 2020 (KAR 2020) media briefing scheduled for March 2 was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.
The briefing was scheduled to be led by Khazanah managing director Datuk Shahril Ridza Ridzuan.
Meanwhile, a Khazanah worker was among the four new Covid-19 cases confirmed by the Health Ministry.
The sovereign wealth fund said it was notified by the health authorities that one of their employees had been diagnosed with the Covid-19 and was now under the care of a government hospital.
Khazanah said the management at its office premises was undertaking necessary measures and precautions to ensure the health and safety of all employees and those around them.
“This includes supporting the health authorities in identifying individuals who have come into close contacts with the affected employee.
The World Tunnel Congress 2020 had also been postponed from May 15 to May 21, 2020 to September 11 to September 17.
However, the venue will remain the same at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Organising chairman Ir Dr Ooi Teik Aun said the postponement was made in light of recent developments related to the spread of Covid-19 to safeguard the safety and well-being of all participants.