New Year 2024 was ushered in moderately throughout the country after the government decided not to hold any official celebrations as a sign of solidarity with Palestinians suffering at the hands of the Israeli regime as well as out of respect to the flood victims in several states.
Checks by Bernama in Kuala Lumpur revealed that in addition to the unofficial celebrations by private parties and companies at several locations, including The Exchange TRX and Kuala Lumpur Tower, there were also religious and spiritual programmes held at several religious institutions.
In National Mosque, almost 200 congregants participated in Yasin prayers and a zikir event that began around 6.30 pm. Many Muslims were also gathered in other areas, including Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque and Putra Mosque, Putrajaya for similar events.
The Kuala Lumpur St Anthony Catholic Church also held religious activities for devotees, some whom arrived as early as 7 pm.
In TERENGGANU, thousands ushered in the new year at the Gong Badak Indoor Stadium in Kuala Nerus, in a night filled with religious programmes, including Maghrib and Isyak prayers led by Dr Sheikh Mohamad Abdel Hamid Kolib and Sheikh Bilal Al-Hossayny, while in PULAU PINANG, most mosques in the state, including Almustaghfirin Mosque in Sungai Tiram, held prayers in conjunction with New Year’s Eve, praying for the wellbeing of humanity around the world.
In JOHOR, celebrations in Batu Pahat were held at Seri Sulong Mosque, Taman Seri Sulong, which was attended by Johor Islamic Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid, and in PAHANG, there were various private events including a Mega Selawat programme by Tepian Putra Mosque, along with Yassin and Tahlil prayers, along with food stalls and food trucks.
In SELANGOR, over 10,000 people welcomed the New Year at the grounds of Shah Alam Stadium tonight, as part of the Darul Ehsan Berselawat 3.0 programme, featuring qasidah performances by nasyid group Nur Ahli Badar and Babul Mustafa, interspaced with talks by Habib Nael Taher, Ustaz Iqbal Zain, Habib Najmudden Othman serta Habib Jindan Novel.
Around 600 people attended NEGERI SEMBILAN’S 2024 New Year’s Eve Mega Carnival, with the theme ‘Mosque: My Pilgrimage Begins Here’, with an assortment of activities including a forum and nasyid performances by Kumpulan Hijjaz.
Over in SARAWAK, ‘Let’s Celebrate Together’ was the theme of the New Year’s Eve celebrations officiated by Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, which showcased performances, fireworks and a countdown to the new year, and in SABAH, a 2024 New Year’s Eve Carnival was held in Tawau, and it was filled with stage performances and a fireworks show. Over 20 food, drinks and clothes vendors offering their products to visitors.
Up north, in KEDAH, people gathered at Tasik Darulaman in Jitra tonight for the Ambang Sejahtera 2024 programme organised by the state government, while in PERAK, around 10,000 visitors witnessed the launch of Visit Perak Year 2024 X Perak’s New Year’s Eve Celebration at Silverlakes Village Outlet in Batu Gajah.
In MELAKA, 2024 New Year’s Eve celebrations coincided with the launch of Visit Melaka Year 2024, which will feature 76 tourism events, including 30 main events, throughout the year.
Finally in PERLIS, around 1,000 people gathered to mark the New Year at Dewan 2020, Kangar, as part of the Jom Solat, Hayya Ala Solah Campaign.–Bernama
Some stark words and a royal farewell
New Zealanders were among the first in the world to celebrate the arrival of 2024 with a fireworks display in Auckland on Monday. The fireworks illuminated the cloudy night sky and were accompanied by a laser light and animation show.
Here’s how some other places and people around the world were bidding farewell to 2023 and welcoming the New Year as cited by Reuters.
SYDNEY – Sydney hailed 2024 with a dazzling fireworks display featuring silver and gold pyrotechnics to mark the 50th anniversary of its famous Opera (NASDAQ:OPRA) House.
GAZA – People in Gaza had little hope that 2024 will bring much relief after 12 weeks of Israel’s war to eliminate Hamas. In Rafah on Gaza’s border with Egypt, which has become the biggest focal point for Palestinians fleeing other parts of the enclave, people were more preoccupied on Sunday with trying to find shelter, food and water than with thinking about the New Year.
“In 2024 I wish to go back to the wreckage of my home, pitch a tent and live there,” said Abu Abdullah al-Agha, a middle- aged Palestinian man whose house in Khan Younis was destroyed and who lost a young niece and nephew in an Israeli air strike.
QUEEN MARGRETHE – Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II used her annual New Year’s speech on Sunday to announce that she will abdicate on Jan. 14 after 52 years on the throne and will be succeeded by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik.
VLADIMIR PUTIN – Russian President Vladimir Putin, facing an election in March, made only passing reference in his New Year address on Sunday to his war in Ukraine, hailing his soldiers as heroes but mostly emphasising unity and shared determination.
XI JINPING – China President Xi Jinping, speaking on Sunday in a televised speech to mark the New Year, said the country will consolidate and enhance the positive trend of its economic recovery in 2024, and sustain long-term economic development with deeper reforms.
KIM JONG UN – North Korea vowed to launch three new spy satellites, build military drones and boost its nuclear arsenal in 2024 as leader Kim Jong Un said U.S. policy is making war inevitable, state media reported on Sunday.
Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to further develop relationship of cooperation between the two countries in New Year messages exchanged on Monday, South Korea’s Yonhap news reported, citing North Korea’s state radio.
POPE FRANCIS – At his Sunday prayers at the Vatican, Pope Francis said: “I wish everyone a peaceful end of the year, and please do not forget to pray for me”.
FRANCE – French President Emmanuel Macron in a televised address ahead of New Year celebrations said 2024 would be “the year of our French pride” marked by the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games and the reopening of Notre-Dame cathedral after a devastating fire.
GERMANY – Police on Sunday detained three further suspects in an alleged Islamist plot to attack Germany’s famed Cologne Cathedral on New Year’s Eve.
The alleged attackers had planned to use a car to attack the 800-year-old Gothic cathedral, Cologne police said.
