SULTAN of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, will not consent to proposals for Friday prayers to be held at shopping malls in the state, said the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS).
Its chairman, Senator Datuk Salehuddin Saidin, said MAIS was informed that Sultan Sharafuddin, as the head of Islam in the state, would not grant permission for the proposal.
"Selangor has 448 mosques and 379 suraus authorised to hold Friday prayers, enough to accommodate the current Muslim population in the state.
“Many of these mosques and suraus were located near shopping malls, making it convenient for the public to perform Friday prayers," he said.
He also stressed that the establishment of mosques and suraus, or the use of any building for such purposes in the state, required written permission from MAIS.
“Friday prayers were sacred and more appropriate to be held in dedicated mosques and suraus rather than in shopping malls, which are typically associated with trade, entertainment and recreation for all communities.”
Earlier, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Dr Zulkifli Hasan, encouraged states to allow Friday prayers at shopping malls following the positive response to the initiative at several locations in the Federal Territories.
Salehuddin added that the Sultan's decision was in line with Islamic teachings to strengthen the role of mosques as primary places of worship, knowledge dissemination and dakwah. – July 8, 2026
