Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 8.2.2021:
The Chinese community is fully committed to fighting together with all Malaysians to defeat the COVID-19 threat by complying with the SOPs, even for the coming Chinese New Year (CNY) celebrations. The confusion over the nonsensical CNY SOPs by the PN government, is a disturbing display of cultural insensitivity and disrespect, that should not have happened after 63 years of Merdeka.
There should be no double-standards, especially when weekly or daily pasar malams open to the public are allowed throughout the country, but not once in a year CNY Reunion Dinner for family members only. The Buddhist or Taoist temples are merely asking for the same rules applied for other religions.
No one is asking for inter-state travel but just like pasar malams, those living within 10kms should not be barred from the CNY Reunion Dinner. The Chinese community should not be made to appeal or even beg to be treated equally with pasar malams to celebrate their CNY Reunion Dinner with their loved ones. This hurts the feelings of the Chinese community and does not help to foster mutual respect and national unity.
LIM GUAN ENG
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2021年2月8日在吉隆坡发表的文告:
在来临的农历新年，华社将继续遵守标准作业程序，和全体马来西亚人一起对抗新冠病毒的威胁。国盟政府那无稽的农历新年标准作业程序所引起的混乱，显现他们对文化的不敏感和不尊重，表现令人不安，也不应在我国已独立63年后，发生这种事情。
政府不应持有双重标准，特别是当他们允许全国的夜市开放营业，但却不允许进行一年一次的团圆饭。佛教和道教寺庙也仅是要求在参照其他宗教所采用的规则下，对公众开放。
没有人要求要跨州，但正如夜市一样，那些住在10公里范围内的人们不应被禁止相聚及享受团圆饭。华社不应沦落到要通过请求，来受到和夜市一样的平等对待，以便可以和亲人共进团圆饭。这伤害了华社的感受，并无助于促进相互尊重和国家团结。
林冠英