Jalan Alor Chap Goh Mei Festival Cancelled Due To Coronavirus Fears Says Organiser

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PETALING JAYA: The Jalan Alor Chap Goh Mei festival slated for Saturday (Feb 8) night has been cancelled due to concerns of the coronavirus outbreak
The Hawkers and Dealers Association of Jalan Alor called off the festival after a local daily reported on Friday (Jan 7) that a China tourist staying at a condominium near Jalan Alor tested positive for the novel coronavirus
The Chap Goh Mei festival was originally scheduled to start at 7.30pm in front of City Tower, Jalan Alor
Association secretary Simon Ang (pic), when contacted, said that while they were unsure whether the news report from the local daily was true or otherwise, they decided not to take any risks
"We care for everyone's safety. Whether the news is true or not, we decided not to go on with the event based on the development of the coronavirus issue," he said
Earlier in a cancellation note distributed to the media, the association said that while preparations had been done for the event, the wellbeing of the people were of utmost importance
"With news that a case has been discovered at a nearby property, we have strong reason to believe that proceeding with the event may pose potential health risk for all our esteemed guests," it said
Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad and Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun were supposed to be special guests at the now cancelled event, which also planned to raise funds for Ops Harapan
Ops Harapan is a Malaysian relief group collecting donations to aid the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak. -Star

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