Surau given the go-ahead to hold Friday prayers

The permission to hold congregational Friday prayers during the recovery movement control order (MCO) period has been expanded to surau and halls deemed suitable for the purpose, says Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.

Mosques and surau permitted to hold Friday prayers were also allowed to maximise the use of their areas while ensuring compliance with the latest standard operating procedure (SOP) set by the Health Ministry and the National Security Council, he said in a statement yesterday.

All religious activities and lectures as well as Dhuha prayers, Fardu Ain and Quran reading classes may also resume this week.

“The mosque and surau committees are to be held responsible for ensuring full compliance of the SOP,” said the Religious Affairs Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

The minister said all decisions were made upon the consent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah who had accepted the resolutions of the Seventh Special Meeting of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia held on June 24.

Zulkifli said as the Federal Constitution provides for matters concerning Islam under the jurisdiction of the states, the meeting also agreed to leave it to the religious authorities in the states to consider the implementation of the decisions.