THE sighting of the new moon of Zulhijjah to determine the date of Aidiladha will take place on Sunday at 29 locations nationwide, according to the Office of the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal.
The office said the official date for Aidiladha will be announced on the same night through radio and television broadcasts following the observation process.
“The Conference of Rulers has agreed that the determination of the date for Aidiladha will be based on the rukyah (moon sighting) and hisab (astronomical calculations) methods,” Bernama cited it saying in a statement.
The nationwide observation exercise will be carried out at a total of 29 designated sites, including several established astronomical and religious observation centres across the country.
Among the key locations in Johor is the Baitul Hilal Sultan Ismail Building in Pontian, while Melaka will host observations at the Al-Khawarizmi Astronomy Complex. Negeri Sembilan will conduct sightings at its state observatory.
In Selangor, observation points include Baitul Hilal sites in Bukit Melawati and Bukit Jugra, as well as the Selangor Observatory in Sabak Bernam.
Perak’s observation will take place at Baitul Hilal Pantai Pasir Panjang, while Penang will conduct sightings at the Sheikh Tahir Astronomy Centre.
In Kedah, the designated sites include Kampung Pulau Sayak, Pemandangan Indah on Langkawi Island, and Menara Alor Setar.
Terengganu’s observation points are Bukit Besar, Bukit Geliga, Pulau Perhentian, and the Kusza Observatory, while Kelantan will carry out sightings at Bukit Peraksi, Bukit Kampong Tembeling, and the SEDC Building Tower.
In Sarawak, moon sighting will be conducted at the falak centres in Miri and Bintulu, as well as Teluk Bandung in Kuching. In Sabah, the Al-Biruni Observatory in Putatan has been designated.
Other observation points include Bukit Tanjong Batu, Gunung Brinchang and Menara 188 in Pahang, the Universiti Malaysia Sabah Tower in Labuan, Kuala Lumpur Tower, the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, and Masjid Al-Hussain in Kuala Perlis.
The coordinated nationwide effort forms part of Malaysia’s established practice of combining observational and astronomical methods to determine key dates in the Islamic calendar, including major religious celebrations such as Aidiladha. - May 8, 2026
