Closure of mosques addresses urgent virus concerns: Janil

The closure of mosques in Singapore addresses immediate issues to curb the spread of the coronavirus, said Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and Transport Janil Puthucheary.

He added that the move, which started yesterday, would help protect Singaporeans as well as healthcare institutions.

Speaking to reporters yesterday on the sidelines of a Muslim community workgroup meeting which he was co-chairing, Dr Janil said: "Some of the issues are very immediate, to try to break the cycle of transmission from one person to the next.

"This is really very important because we have to protect our critical healthcare infrastructure and reduce the number of cases multiplying."

For the first time in Singapore's history, all 70 mosques islandwide were closed yesterday and congregational prayers cancelled to allow them to be cleaned further to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

This came after two Singaporeans who attended a mass religious gathering in Selangor late last month were infected. About 90 Singaporeans had attended the gathering, and some are frequent congregants at different mosques here.

Yesterday, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) said the community workgroup that Dr Janil is part of was convened by Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli in response to the Covid-19 situation.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and Health Amrin Amin is also in the 18-member group, which includes medical professionals and religious leaders.

"The group will actively support engagement efforts in disseminating religious guidance and health advisories to the Muslim community," said Muis.

On Thursday, Muis said that the closure of all mosques is aimed at preventing the emergence of a cluster of Covid-19 cases.

It added that all mosque activities, such as lectures and religious classes, will be cancelled till March 27. A review will be done next Monday on the state of hygiene and cleanliness at mosques before they are reopened.

Muis said communal activities, such as congregational prayers, may expose mosquegoers to the virus from individuals who may not know that they are infected.

Despite the closure, some worshippers still gathered outside a few mosques for prayers yesterday. They were not allowed in.

Notices about the closure were placed outside mosques such as the Sultan Mosque in the Bugis area and the Hasanah Mosque in Teban Gardens.

Mosques such as the An-Nur Mosque in Marsiling stationed staff outside their premises to explain the reasons for the closure.

The fatwa committee, which gives religious guidance to Muslims here, has approved the closure and suspension of Friday prayers in the interest of public health and safety.

Its chairman, Singapore Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, posted on his Instagram account on Thursday that the decision was not easy, nor something that Muis had hoped to do, but it was a necessary move.

"Play your part in protecting society and we shall be strong together as one," he wrote.