To Cheng Beng or not to Cheng Beng?

The above article in today's edition of The Star newspaper was based in a large part on this paper by Dr Hor Chee Peng (right) who is the secretary-general of the Dr Wu Lien-Teh Society. Read the online version of The Star's story here. Chee Peng is based at the Kepala Batas Hospital where he is in the front line of the battle against Covid-19. His original paper here 👇

Cheng Beng Festival Amidst of COVID19 Outbreaks: What should we do? 

The upcoming annual Cheng Beng Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day) is expecting a rise of returning members to their families. This Chinese custom is celebrated around the world to remember and honour ancestors who have passed away, around April 4 and April 6, with praying activities commence two weeks before. People sweep the grave sites, presenting flowers and placing offerings on graves. Some families visit temples, ashes towers and ancestor shrines to perform the rituals together in crowd. Mass praying events such as Liang Huang Repentance Liturgy at temple premises takes place to repent for benefits of the livings and the deceased.

Amid the outraging COVID19 epidemics, we ought to be socially responsible and share responsibility to protect ourselves, beloved ones and communities at large. We need to adhere strictly to the certain preventive measures to curb the spread of this catastrophic disease. The implementation of nationwide restricted movement order with its aim to flatten the exponential growth of COVID19. We urge for the solidarity from individuals and community participation with united actions against COVID19.

We call upon community and religious leaders to proactively call off organizing any mass public event or gathering, indoor and outdoor alike, and consider to revert to digital platform for public to participate from home. Committee board in-charge of grave sites, ashes towers and temple premises should implement measures following the Ministry of Health's guideline, according to respective setting. Do provide hand-sanitizing and hand washing areas with posters and reminders to ensure good hand hygiene practice. Do institute mechanisms such as staggering visit time, and limiting visitor number, to avoid crowding during peak periods. Wherever feasible, premises should register details of visitors and offer temperature check at the entrance points. Good air ventilation, without re-circulation, within the premises is an important measure not to be overlooked. We should also observe good hygiene practices by binning litters and keep our shared space clean.

Many travel home to part take the ancestral workshop activities, while some could not due to travel restrictions. During this season, incoming family members may stay in ancestral house leading to close contact and crowding in closed space, which is strongly discouraged. There will be varieties of food after the offering. Do not share meals but use serving spoons or chopstick to serve food. Use alcohol-based hand rubs and wash hands with soap regularly, while avoid handshaking and hand touching own face. Wherever you are, practice cough etiquette by covering up your mouth and nose with tissue and dispose it appropriately followed by performing hand hygiene; cough or sneeze into your elbow, not hands and wash with soap.

In the past years, families, young and old, travel together to grave sites to perform worship rituals, as part of the tradition. This year we recommend to postpone the worship on site with alternative to perform it at home over the ancestral altar!  Beside, we urge refraining young children and older persons (>60 years) with medical illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases and lung diseases, to attend the prayer at grave sites. They are high risk groups and vulnerable to contracting the infection. Instead, the young adults can perform the ancestral worship on behalf, in fewer number, to convey the intention abiding to their filial piety.

Above all, social distancing is now the greatest call for altruism and humanity for this pandemic! Avoid any unnecessary social or religious gatherings. Stay a distance of 1 meter in radius from one another- to avoid catching the virus yourself and to pass it on to others, especially to the vulnerable ones. Persons with symptoms (fever and cough) must wear face mask correctly to reduce the spread of the droplets during sneezing or coughing. They should refrain themselves from participating in worship activity and family gathering. Family members travelling from affected areas abroad should self-monitor and selflockdown if any symptom develops, especially those with close contact or suspected of having the infection. In fact, stay put wherever you are, and offer prayers through family members back home, to minimize human contact to reduce the spread of the virus.

This year's Cheng Beng is undoubtedly a tough one for many of us! As much as we wish to honour our ancestors and loved ones, they would always want us to stay healthy and well! All of us have a role to play in protecting our wider community.

Dr Hor Chee Peng Secretary-General, The Dr Wu Lien-Teh Society, Penang Clinical Research Associate, Institute for Clinical Research, National Institutes of Health, Malaysia Contact details: 012-4419697, cheepengh@yahoo.com

And Dr Cheah Wee Kooi Consultant Geriatrician and Head of Department of Medicine, Taiping Hospital +60 16-456 6991, wkcheah@hotmail.com