GEORGE TOWN: Penang will wait for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah’s instruction on whether religious activities will be suspended in the country.
State Mufti Datuk Seri Dr Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor told the New Straits Times that he had contacted the Malaysia Islamic Development Department (Jakim) following the conclusion of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia (MKI) meeting yesterday.
“I was told that the Health Ministry will be taking the proposal from the MKI meeting (which will be) presented to the Agong later today.
“Since Penang does not have a Sultan, the Agong is the authority… (and he will decide on) any measure implemented here.
“Any decision made by the Agong will be implemented,” he said when contacted today.
An MKI special meeting, which was called on the instruction of the King on Sunday, was attended by mufti from all states or their representatives, as well as directors of all state Islamic Affairs Departments and representative of state Islamic Religious Councils.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Dr Zulkefli Mohamad Al-Bakri, had said that the consensus (which will culminate in an) edict will be presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Rulers of the States for their approval and further action.
Last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that the Covid-19 outbreak is a ‘pandemic’.
Malaysia confirmed 190 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, raising the tally of infections in the country to 428.
The new Covid-19 tally makes Malaysia the worst-affected country by the virus by far in Southeast Asia.