THE Kedah state government has announced a new directive for pasar malam vendors.
Effective May 1st, all vendors must temporarily close their stalls during Maghrib prayers, according to a Facebook post by Majlis Perbandaran Kulim.
To coincide with Maghrib prayers, night markets in Kedah will implement a short pause in operations lasting 15 minutes which will typically begin around 7:25 pm.
It will begin five minutes before the Maghrib prayer starts and end 10 minutes after it concludes.
In addition, notices have been distributed to vendors throughout the state, informing them of the new policy.
The state government claimed that the goal is to provide Muslim vendors time to pray while also showing respect for prayer time.
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The news raises the question of whether similar measures could be applied in other regions with significant Muslim populations, such as in the Klang Valley.
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