KUALA LUMPUR – The Perak Tengah council today said it had already cancelled a ban on eateries operating before 3pm during the Ramadan fasting month, after it was widely criticised for depriving non-Muslims of access to food during the day in the area.
Hundreds of social media users slammed the local council for the policy, after Twitter user @AhvinRaaj posted a picture of a notice on the ban, which listed punishments of up to a year in jail, a maximum fine of RM2,000, and additional fines of RM200 for each day an offence is committed.
They don’t let me dine in because it’s Bulan Puasa, apparently in Seri Iskandar, Perak, you’re not allowed to dine in, in any shops until 3pm
— Ahvin Raaj (@AhvinRaaj) April 4, 2022
Even though I’m not fasting
Is this fair for all the Non-Muslims / People who are not fasting out there? pic.twitter.com/fG5CaqQUlG
The Perak Tengah council said it was common practice for them to issue the notice every Ramadan to Muslim operators of eateries and that it did not involve non-Muslims.
“Because the notice caused confusion among netizens and the general public, the council issued a notice of cancellation effective immediately on March 31, 2022,” the council said in a statement.
“The council apologises for any confusion experienced by any party regarding the notice,” it said, adding that it urged restaurant operators and customers to respect local sensitivities during the holy fasting month.
Earlier when The Vibes contacted the council, a person who identified themself as an officer said that they have not received any complaints before and that there was no issue of people of other faiths being troubled by the ban as the majority of the area’s residents were Muslim.
“This is not the first time we are doing this. And it’s not only here, but it’s the same case elsewhere in Malaysia,” said the officer, who refused to provide their name.
The Vibes contacted several other local councils to check on whether similar bans were imposed, but all said that it was not part of their policy.
The other local authorities contacted include Ipoh, Teluk Intan, Taiping, Kerian, and Lenggong in Perak, and the Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam city councils in Selangor.
“We cannot be denying the rights of the non-Muslim and those not fasting to have meals,” said a staff with the Petaling Jaya city council, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. – The Vibes, April 4, 2022
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