KUCHING: The period for Hari Raya Aidilfitri visiting permitted in zones under the conditional movement control order (CMCO) throughout Sarawak has been shortened from seven days to three days and restricted to immediate family members.
The Sarawak Islamic Council (MIS) in its revised Hari Raya Aidilfitri standard operating procedure (SOP) issued on Wednesday said that visiting would only be allowed from Syawal 1 to Syawal 3.
Visitors are restricted to close family members, with up to 50 percent capacity of household size and must practise physical distancing.
“Takbir Hari Raya is permitted at mosques and surau. This starts after Solat Maghrib Syawal 1 (night) and should not surpass 10pm, as well as after Solat Subuh Syawal 1 (morning) until the start of Solat Sunat Aidilfitri,” MIS said.
The Solat Sunat Aidilfitri is also permitted at mosques, surau, musolla, and premises which have obtained MIS’ permission.
The council added that the number of attendees must be based on the capacity of the premises with physical distancing of one-metre applied.
Banquets after Solat Aidilfitri at mosques or surau are not permitted and only packed food distribution is allowed.
House-to-house takbir activities, open houses, and tahlil after Solat Aidilfitri at mosques or surau are also not permitted.
The council advises against grave based on the risk assessment of current Covid-19 cases.
However, if these could not be avoided, the guidelines issued by the council earlier should be applied.
This included that the period of visiting each grave should not exceed 20 minutes and with no more than five next-of-kin or immediate family members in attendance at any one time.
As for zones or areas under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) throughout Sarawak, the earlier SOP is maintained whereby no house visiting and grave visits would be allowed.
For these areas, Solat Sunat Aidilfitri is not allowed to be held at mosques or surau. Instead, MIS said such prayers should be held in respective homes together with family members only.
