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KUALA LUMPUR – Despite the surge in daily Covid-19 cases, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said there will be no restrictions on Ramadan bazaars this year although Malaysians can expect the standard operating procedures to be refined.
He had similarly ruled out more lockdowns and movement control orders in the future.
This year, Ramadan is expected to start in early April.
He added that there will no longer be economic restrictions in the country.
“We will not close down businesses, be it for Raya or the fasting month, in Ramadan bazaars,or night markets. They will remain open as usual,” he told reporters after a Chinese New Year luncheon here today.
Earlier, it was reported that Ramadan bazaar traders were concerned over the possibility of not being able to trade, given that Covid-19 cases are rising sharply due to the Omicron variant.
Just yesterday, the daily caseload pushed Malaysia’s cumulative cases to more than three million. The country has been seeing a return of daily five-digit case numbers over the week.
Last week, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the Ramadan bazaars in areas under his purview would be allowed to proceed with existing SOPs.
In 2020, bazaars were not allowed to open due to the movement restriction orders while last year, locations under the enhanced movement control orders could not host such bazaars. – The Vibes, February 13, 2022
