By Aqilah Bahar and Elyana Sofia
Malaysia is home to many cultures and ethnicities where the concept of multiculturalism with different values, beliefs, practices and vibrant lifestyles are being cherished.
Cultural celebrations and religious festivals are some of the identities that Malaysia has retained for decades, hence to be part of those festivities is no stranger to Malaysians. Almost every month of the year we get to witness different rituals and occasions that open up an opportunity for us to embrace the differences and diversities, thanks to the existence of a multicultural society.
Cultural and religious celebrations are essential in Malaysia, albeit for any other countries across the world, as it embodies the uniqueness of cultural heritage and religious practices. As descendants, it is almost our responsibility to preserve them. They have a crucial value that builds the character of individuals and even the community at large.
According to UK Essays, culture is a shared pattern that humans subconsciously learn and it lays a framework for certain aspects of human interactions that shows the importance of embracing ones culture.
Unfortunately, due to the global health crisis that nearly every country around the world is battling, it is now not safe to partake in events especially ones that require a physical presence in a large crowd. Hence, festive occasions need to be revamped into smaller groups following strict guidelines and safety health measures”which also means that the festivals need to be celebrated in moderation.
Is moderation parallel for everyone?
Moderation is an act of doing something mildly and avoiding any form of excesses, according to Collins Dictionary. However, is the definition of moderation parallel for everyone?
Moderation in celebrations can bring the meaning of giving our best effort to observe our cultural and religious practices in smaller crowds, practise social distancing and avoid handshaking as a part of the new normal”all in all to rigidly follow the standard operating procedures (SOP) to put the coronavirus at bay.
It also can reflect in the way we manage our resources during the celebrations that are excessively splurged to the point of having some parts of them to go to waste. So, what comes into question is, have we been practising moderation in welcoming festival celebrations?
The wealthy and the elites have probably violated this concept of moderation if we were to look through the perspectives of the needy. Being able to lavishly spend money on clothes, decorating their homes and have a fraction of their expenses on cuisines for open houses, while having people to come over, when it has already been made clear to only celebrate in small groups.
In a different, opposite world than theirs, the poor might be celebrating just enough to respect their religious and cultural practices while worrying about their survivability in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yes, it is surely your own hard-earned money and it is your right to spend as however you like, but to the point of being oblivious to your family members that are in need, neighbours or even rakyat at large? And if we were to look at another perspective, social distancing is a choice not anyone can make, it might be a luxury to some.
Undoubtedly, it is probably much easier to have family members around if you live in a large living space since there is plenty of room to practise physical distancing. But what about those who have been living in poverty? Is this something to worry about because their livelihood has been the same all along regardless of the seasons?
Adhering to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
In Malaysia, COVID-19 cases started to spike drastically beginning with 29 infections at the end of February to three-digit figures in March last year. Following the spike in cases linked to the tabligh gathering in Sri Petaling, and as cases rose to more than 200, the Malaysian government decided to announce tougher measures to flatten the curve of infections.
Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced the imposition of movement control order (MCO) nationwide beginning 18 March to prevent the deadly virus from spreading among the community.
Even though the Malaysian government has issued strict warning to public to follow safety and security instructions, it seems Malaysians still break the rules to travel to their hometown especially during festivals such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Deepavali.
According to Senior Minister for Security and Minister of Defence, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the number of Malaysians attempting unauthorised inter-state travel continued to rise, with 1,248 motorists nationwide ordered to make a turn back. The vehicles were stopped at 147 roadblocks set up at state borders after 21,8027 vehicles were checked during the conditional movement control order (CMCO).
Malaysians and the festivals can never be separated even in a critical time such as the pandemic, it seemed. With rigorous actions taken by the government to curb the spread of the virus, the annual mass exodus is still increasing and Malaysians would still take the risk to celebrate the festivals in their hometown. Now we have come to the million-dollar question, are Malaysians risk-takers or does the pandemic make us yearn for physical connection?
What has the pandemic taught us?
As we dive into understanding the meaning of celebration with moderation, it is also necessary for us to reflect what has the pandemic taught us. Undoubtedly, the year 2020 turned out to be catastrophic, but through this tough time, we learned to fathom the vulnerability of human beings.
All these years we took things for granted. We did not savour the moments with our loved ones and spent too much time working and upgrading life until we forget the basic human needs – to stay connected. According to Maslows Hierarchy of Need, we must fulfil the three needs in life which are physiological need, psychological need and self-actualisation to feel motivated.
Unfortunately, the year where most of us were anticipating as the year of fulfilling Vision 2020 would be realised, became the year of despair and uncertainty. Without us realising it, many have been socially, mentally and physically affected by the enforcement of the movement control order (MCO) due to the threat of the virus.
The Health Ministry’s Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services reported that 64,366 individuals have received psychological consultation since the enforcement of the MCO until the Recovery MCO (RMCO). From the 1.6 million public workers nationwide, more than 15,000 employees received counselling services as of September last year.
Moreover, many are still struggling following retrenchment due to COVID-19. Prime Ministers Department Senior Deputy Secretary-General, Datuk Mohd Sallehhuddin Hassan mentioned that companies were facing financial difficulties that urged them to cut costs by downsizing and retrenching of workers which had contributed to mental toll among the people.
Hence, with the impact of COVID-19 on peoples emotion, it is relevant that Malaysians go out of their way to celebrate the long-awaited festivals with family and friends to fulfil the need of emotional connection as suggested by Abraham Marlow in his theory of human motivation.
Celebration with Moderation should be practised in years to come
The definition and idea of celebrating in moderation might not be the same for anyone and a rich person’s practices of moderation might be excessive for the poor. What matters is to be mindful especially in times of COVID-19 where the poor becomes poorer and the rich remain rich and unaffected. Maybe they do to some fraction, but not to the point of starving, we reckoned.
However, as the saying goes, it takes two to tango, the rules implemented by the government should be followed religiously by everyone regardless of social status. There should not be bias when practising the standard operation procedures (SOP). Law is meant to be followed and not blatantly flouted especially when dealing with such a deadly virus.
The fight against COVID-19 is still ongoing, hopefully with the arrival of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines in February 2021, Malaysians could follow the lead of New Zealand to be free from the threat of the virus. As we approach the Chinese New Year next month, we would expect the celebration to be welcome with moderation. ***
(This article is written as part of special reports for Feature Writing class)