By: Aida Aziz
IPOH: The Ipoh City Council (MBI) has no plans to follow the lead of other state-local authorities that direct the closure of Muslim-owned businesses for two hours every Friday.
According to Ipoh Mayor Datuk Rumazi Bahrain, the matter depends on individuals and owners of Islamic businesses, and there is currently no directive to enforce such measures.
“No, as of now, MBI has not done that (implemented such a directive)… we leave it to individuals who are Muslims and business owners to decide whether to close their shops for two hours on Fridays.
“It’s not that there is no need, but this matter is not enforced, and it’s entirely up to individuals.
“There’s no issue, and as of now, there is no proposal to implement such measures,” he said succinctly to reporters during a media briefing on Monday.
Earlier, the media reported that businesses within the jurisdiction of the Kuala Terengganu City Council (MBKT) were instructed to close operations for two hours every Friday.
Kuala Terengganu Mayor, Rosli Latif, stated that the closure does not involve non-Muslim restaurants.
He mentioned that the closure of all business operations starts from 12:30 noon to 2:30 pm every Friday, effective since January 1.
He added that the directive to close operations applies not only to supermarkets but also to all businesses, including restaurants and eateries.
