AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Malaysia will not hold any official celebration for New Year’s Eve, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced on Friday.
He said the decision was a gesture of solidarity with the Palestinians who are facing Israeli attacks and the Malaysians who are affected by the floods in several states.
Fadzil said the federal government wanted to show its support and sympathy for the people who are suffering and struggling in these difficult times. He added that the state governments and local authorities may have their own celebration programs according to their local situations.
He made the announcement after officiating the annual general assembly of the Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Pekida), an Islamic welfare and missionary organization, in Kuala Lumpur.
The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) will also hold spiritual programmes on the eve of the new year at the National Mosque, the Putra Mosque and the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque as an alternative for Muslims, according to a report by the Bernama news agency.
Malaysia is not the only country that has canceled its festive celebrations in solidarity with Gaza. Pakistan has also announced that it will not celebrate Christmas this year.
The Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates has also decided to skip its New Year’s Eve festivities, while other emirates will go ahead with their plans.
More than 21,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in brutal Israeli attacks since October 7, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The Israeli military has launched airstrikes and ground operations after the Hamas resistance movement launched an operation into occupied territories in response to decades of Israeli violence against Palestinians.
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