Gerakan In The News

Gerakan urges govt to postpone all major events amid Covid-19 outbreak

Mar 6, 2020

GEORGE TOWN: Organisers of the Penang Yosakoi Parade 2020, scheduled for tomorrow, have postponed this year’s parade as well as the Penang Yosakoi Fun Run in response to the recent increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country.

Event organising committee representative Emi Yamazaki said the decision was made on the advice from the state authorities, aimed at mitigating potential spread of the virus here.

“The new date of the event will be adviced accordingly, but in the meantime, all participants, vendors and all concerned have been informed, and we sincerely apologised for any inconvenience caused.

“We hope that our actions will be taken in good faith,” Yamazaki said.

The Penang Yosakoi Parade is the first and only Yosakoi Parade in the country, possibly the biggest Yosakoi Parade to be held on a street in Southeast Asia, which attracts over 1,000 parade participants and 10,000 people annually.

Yosakoi is a unique style of dance that originated in Japan and that is performed at festivals and events all over the country. The first Yosakoi festival was held in 1954 in Kochi prefecture, Japan.

Meanwhile, Gerakan deputy president Oh Tong Keong has urged both the federal and state government to postpone all major events for a three-month period due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

He said the increase of 14 new cases in a single day should not be taken lightly.

“Malaysia recorded more than 50 Covid-19 cases to-date.

“To prevent the spread of the virus, the government should consider postponing all major events with immediate effect,” he added.

Oh also urged the Health and the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministries to pay serious attention to the shortage of face masks in the market.