ALL mosques and surau in green zones in the Federal Territories are now allowed to be opened, said Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The senior minister said for mosques and surau in other states, an approval from the state religious council must be obtained before they can be opened to the public.

“The government has allowed all mosques and surau in the Federal Territories to be opened for the public. 

“The SOP (standard operating procedure) is still the same however. No more than a quarter of people are allowed and only mosques in green zones can operate,” he said at his press conference today. 

In March, Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, the minister in charge of religious affairs, proposed an extension of the suspension of all activities, including Friday prayers, at mosques and surau until the movement-control order (MCO) period ends.

This followed a decree by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah for Muslims to perform prayers at home to prevent the spread of Covid-19.  

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on June 8 said the recovery MCO will replace the conditional MCO, where almost all social, religious, business and educational activities are allowed to resume in stages under strict SOPs. 

Hari Raya Aidiladha celebrations and Qurban activities are also permitted, but organisers must adhere to SOPs. – June 15, 2020.