KUALA LUMPUR: The public must have a strong sense of community empowerment to protect themselves from Covid-19 during the upcoming festive season.
Health experts said the onus was on each member of society to continue maintaining social distancing and personal hygiene, while being cautious when they join intrastate gatherings of up to 20 people during Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Kaamatan and Gawai celebrations.
Malaysian Public Health Physicians' Association (PPPKAM) president Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said community empowerment was an important criteria during the second phase of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).
"The most important thing to have during this crisis is community empowerment and surveillance.
"There are those who are not comfortable having people over as they might have older family members in the house.
"We have the right to protect our family members and the community.
"At the same time, the community should be able to report to the authorities if anyone in their neighbourhood is having more than the allotted number of people in their house," he told the New Straits Times.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced a four-week extension of the CMCO until June 9 with more relaxed rules.
These include allowing Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Kaamatan and Gawai gatherings of not more than 20 people at any one time, as well as enabling married couples in separate states to reunite.
Dr Zainal's words were echoed by epidemiologist Dr Sanjay Rampal, who said the CMCO was a way to help the community to transition into the new normal.
"With CMCO, the government is relaxing certain standard operating procedures as the Covid-19 transmission among communities is low.
"And while CMCO is being enforced, the people should change their behaviour and adapt to the new normal."
He said the public held a collective responsibility to safeguard the community's health.
He said a better understanding of this responsibility was more important than telling people what to do, and why they needed to adhere to the SOP.
The two experts listed some advice for the public during the festive season.
Dr Zainal said those who planned to visit their relatives must inform the latter ahead of their visit.
"Call your relatives before coming over as that house could be packed with 10 people or more.
"However, it is advisable for you to refrain from visiting relatives during CMCO.
"If you really must, limit these visits to close family members and friends who live nearby.
"One needs to sacrifice some things for the sake of the country. It is better to stay home to avoid a possibility of another extension of CMCO.
"Instead, deliver food like rendang, ketupat to your loved ones."
Dr Sanjay urged the people to consider the size of the house that they planned to visit and the number of people expected to be present.
"The 20 person limit is based on density. It is to avoid congestion in a house."
Medical consultant specialist Dr Rafidah Abdullah urged the prime minister to reconsider the decision to allow festive gatherings.
"I humbly urge the prime minister and the government to review their recommendation to allow Hari Raya Aidilfitri visits with a maximum attendance of 20 people at any one time."
She even urged the people to put up notices outside their homes to turn away visitors.
"I suggest we print and paste a notice which reads like this on our gates: 'Sorry. This house does not accept guests. The people in this house are included in the high-risk group (the elderly and those with chronic diseases). Please return to your home'."
The New Straits Times spoke to several families who said they would be limiting Hari Raya Aidilfitri visits.
Raja Zurinna Raja Adam, 40, and her husband, Zulkiflee Zain Mohd Ishak, 41, said they would not be visiting anyone or inviting people over to their home in Titiwangsa here.
The couple, who have three boys aged between 5 and 12, said they came to the decision after Raja Zurinna's 65-year-old mother conveyed in their family WhatsApp group on Sunday evening that she would not be hosting anyone at her Shah Alam home during Raya.
"My mother was the first to initiate the no-visiting rule after the prime minister made the announcement.
"She said she is in the high-risk category and no one is welcomed at her house.
"My initial plan was to schedule visits with my siblings so we do not bump into each other to reduce exposure to Covid-19.
"However, since my mother has set the 'don't visit me' rule, it takes the stress off us and we are relieved.
"We do not need to carry the guilt or feel obligated to visit my mother."
The family also scrapped an initial plan to visit Zulkiflee's 72-year-old mother, who lives nearby.
"We agreed not to visit our mothers, not even our close family members, like my brother-in-law who lives next door. We are staying indoors this Hari Raya Raya Aidilfitri."
Social media expert Azeril Zolle said going from one relative's house to another was not on his plans.
The 46-year-old from Subang Jaya said he would only visit his mother, who lives 5km away, and his sister in Shah Alam on Raya morning.
The father of two said his family would wear face masks, use hand sanitisers and wash their hands when visiting their relatives.
"There will be no salam and no hugging each other when we seek forgiveness to avoid any contact. But duit raya will still be given out.
"No doubt, the celebration will not be as lively as in previous years, but we have to give an exception due to the pandemic and especially when we are bound to meet older family members."
Housewife Nur Lela Zulkipli, 31, and her husband, Saddam Yusof, said they would go to their mothers' homes in Subang Jaya and Sungai Buloh respectively.
Their mothers would host small gatherings consisting of between 10 and 15 people, and the family planned to limit the time for their visit.
"We used to stay put at their homes until evening but now we will spend only two to three hours. Our practice of visiting friends can wait for now."
Lela said the practice of giving duit raya would also be different.
"I will only bank in money for my parents. I will not give them green packets with notes in them to keep everyone safe."