Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner : Top Questions Answered!

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People are still very confused about what’s allowed and not allowed for the Chinese New Year reunion dinner.

Fortunately, MKN just released the answers to the top 5 questions people are asking!

 

Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner : U-Turn After Correction

This year’s announcement on the Chinese New Year reunion dinner SOP was a masterpiece in incompetence.

The original Chinese New Year SOP was widely ridiculed, then corrected before being reversed – all in a matter of days.

Family Reunion Dinner

  • Allowed for one day only, on Thursday, 11 February 2021.
  • Up to 15 close family members may attend.
  • Those family members must live within a radius of 10 kilometres.
  • Cross-district or interstate travel is forbidden.

Even the recent announcement, which we summarised above, was so vague, many people had questions.

 

Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner : Top Questions Answered!

On 8 February 2021, the Malaysia National Security Council (MKN) finally released their answers to our top questions about the Chinese New Year reunion dinner :

Question #1 : Are family reunion dinners allowed?

Yes. Family reunion dinners are ALLOWED for not more than 15 close family members living within a radius of 10 km, without crossing district or state lines.

Question #2 : When are family reunion dinners allowed?

Only on Thursday, 11 February 2021.

Question #3 : If I live within 10 km but in a neighbouring district, can I still attend the family reunion dinner?

No, you are NOT allowed to cross district or state lines.

Question #4 : How many people are allowed to travel to the family reunion dinner in the same car on 11 February 2021?

According to the latest MCO SOP (updated on 4 February 2021), only TWO (2) persons may travel in the same car.

Question #5 : How do you define close family members?

Close family members allowed at the family reunion dinners :

  • husband and wife
  • parents
  • children
  • brothers and sisters

 

Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner : More Changes Expected

This is yet another clarification that brooks more questions than it answers.

Why Two Persons Per Car?

What’s the point of restricting families to only two persons per car?

How does that help prevent the spread of COVID-19? After all, they are from the same family!

All this rule does is force families to drive multiple vehicles to attend the dinner.

Why Forbid Inter-District Travel?

The 10 km limit should be sufficient to restrict travel, even though this really isn’t even enforceable.

Forbidding inter-district travel for the Chinese New Year reunion dinner does not help to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection.

Infected people spread COVID-19 – it doesn’t matter if they travel across districts, or within the district.

Either the government bans the reunion dinner completely, or allow it with inter-district travel. It really doesn’t make any difference.

Close Family Definition Too Vague

The close family definition is still too vague. MKN should have just made it simple and clear by just saying no friends allowed.

Right now, a strict reading of the FAQ means that brothers-in-law or sisters-in-law, cousins, nephews and nieces are not allowed.

We foresee them “clarifying” the definition later, to something simpler and yet more clear-cut like parents, brothers and sisters of the family, including their children.

 

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