Minister Of Health Budi Gunadi: I Have Received An Angpau During Chinese New Year

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin / Special

JAKARTA - Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin admitted that he had received angpau in celebration of Chinese New Year. He also admitted that he received angpau when the celebration took place.

However, he did not specify when the angpau was received. However, he received angpau before becoming a state official.

"I both the Minister of Religion have received angpau too. But even though the red envelope is fun, the more exciting is the one in the envelope," Budi said in a press conference broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube account, Thursday, February 4.

Well, the Chinese New Year celebrations coincide with the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, he appealed to the public in this year's Chinese New Year not to provide physical angpau.

If people want to provide angpau, preferably by transfer. In this way, you can still feel the joy of getting angpau even though all activities such as friendship cannot be done directly.

"We can also do that, by sending what is in the red envelope digitally and now it is very easy," he said.

"So the new way (celebrating, red) Chinese New Year is better if we can do it by transferring. In fact, it can be more, ladies and gentlemen," he added.

Even if those who celebrate this holiday still want to send the red envelope that is characteristic of distributing angpau, this can still be done by using an online motorcycle taxi service. So, not only giving away angpau, other people can also get sustenance from this activity.

"Well, send the envelope with paper, 'later it will be transferred this big'. That's interesting too," he said.

As previously reported, the government requested that the Chinese New Year celebration which falls on Friday, February 12 be held simply and social gathering activities can be carried out online. This is due to the fact that COVID-19 is still being transmitted in the community.

"Because the situation is different, Indonesia and the world are experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, I think Confucians or those who celebrate should also be aware that Chinese New Year celebrations can be celebrated in a simple way," said Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas in an online press conference which aired on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube account, Thursday, February 4.

The government, he continued, understands that the Chinese New Year celebration is not just a change of year but also an expression of gratitude so that this celebration is often filled with lion dance performances, distributing angpao, to stay in touch with each other.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he asked for this kind of activity to be detained first. For the gathering activities, Yaqut even requested that this be done online and this has been communicated with Chinese community groups and religious leaders from Konghucu.