Penang Seeks Relaxed Thaipusam Sops For Hilltop Temple

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The Balathandayuthapani hilltop temple wants the Thaipusam celebration to be held for two days instead of only on Jan 18. (Wikipedia pic)GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government will submit an appeal to the National Security Council (MKN) and the national unity ministry to relax SOPs for Thaipusam at the Balathandayuthapani hilltop temple here on Jan 18.
Deputy chief minister P Ramasamy and temple chairman R Subramaniam want changes in the number of devotees allowed to follow the chariot and inside the temple area, the operational hours and the age limit of the devotees.
Ramasamy, who is also the chairman of the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB), which governs all Hindu temples and related organisations in the state, said the number of devotees following the chariot should be increased from 100 to 500.
Speaking at a press conference, he said the SOPs announced earlier limited the number following the chariot to 100 temple committee members, which was unfair to other devotees.

Subramaniam said the limit of 3,000 devotees allowed for the day should be relaxed to 3,000 for every 30-minute prayer session given the vast compound of the temple.
He said the temple spanned 2ha and could accommodate 10,000.
He said children under 18 should be allowed to accompany their fully vaccinated parents instead of being prohibited from doing so.
He also said the temple should be allowed to open from 5am on Jan 17 to 11pm on Jan 18 and not 5am to 5pm only on Thaipusam day.
Ramasamy said the authorities should have drawn up the SOPs according to the size of the venue.
He said the temple officials would seek a relaxation of the SOPs for the sake of the devotees.
Jelutong MP RSN Rayer, who was present, also said the devotees could pray at home in view of the SOPs. - FMT

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