“May we be protected from all forms of calamities and be blessed with prosperity and everlasting unity and harmony,” the King and Queen said in a post on Istana Negara’s Facebook page.

Unlike before, this New Year’s eve was filled with special prayers and doa selamat programmes as a sign of respect and sympathy for the people affected by the recent floods.

This followed the announcement by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to cancel the 2022 New Year celebration.

Ismail had said in a Facebook post that the New Year celebrations would be cancelled and be replaced with special prayers as a sign of respect and sympathy for flood victims.

Earlier today, he joined more than 500 congregants at the Putra Mosque in Putrajaya to perform special solat hajat prayers and doa selamat for the well-being of the people and the country for the new year.