Ramadan bazaars in Malaysia all set to buzz again

KUALA LUMPUR • Malaysia will not be imposing restrictions on economic activities this year, including during the hugely popular Ramadan bazaars, said Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Sunday.

But he added that the government will tweak the existing health protocols in time for the Ramadan bazaars. These bazaars are held during the Muslim fasting month which this year starts on April 3, with stalls selling everything from food to clothes ahead of the Hari Raya festival on May 3.

"We will not close down businesses. I have mentioned earlier that the Raya celebration, fasting month, Ramadan bazaar and night market will go on as usual," he told reporters at a Keluarga Malaysia Chinese New Year luncheon.

Earlier, the media reported grouses among Ramadan bazaar traders who were worried that they would not be able to operate in view of the surge in Covid-19 cases following the spread of the Omicron variant over the past one month.

A total of 21,315 new Covid-19 infections were recorded yesterday, bringing the cumulative total to 3.06 million.

Last week, Federal Territories Minister Shahidan Kassim said Ramadan bazaars would be allowed to operate as usual in the three federal territories this year, with the enforcement of the existing measures such as wearing of masks and social distancing.

In 2020, Ramadan bazaars were not allowed nationwide, while last year, the bazaars were prohibited only in areas with more relaxed movement curbs.

Malaysia loosened most of its Covid-19 curbs from October last year as most of its population had been fully vaccinated. The government is now pushing for booster shots among adults, and last week starting to vaccinate children aged five to 11.

Government data on the CovidNow website showed that 78.8 per cent of Malaysia's total population of around 33 million people have been vaccinated, or 97.5 per cent of the adult population.

Officials have said that some 99 per cent of the country's Covid-19 cases logged in the past few weeks were asympthomatic or mild cases, with low hospitalisation rate.

Meanwhile, Datuk Seri Ismail is planning to go to the Middle East for a working visit at the end of March and to China in May.

Before that, he will make working visits to other Asean countries beginning with Brunei, and followed by trips to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Indonesia was the first country visited by PM Ismail after he took office on Aug 21 last year.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK