SHAH ALAM, Oct 4 — The National Fatwa Council will meet tomorrow to fine-tune the standard operating procedures for mosques and surau following the surge in Covid-19 cases in the country.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (religious affairs) Datuk Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri said the meeting will also take into account views from the relevant quarters on the matter.

"Insya Allah, the National Fatwa Council will meet tomorrow to fine tune the SOP on mosques and surau, not ony for those in the red zone areas, but in all areas,” he said when met after closing the national-level Kafa Quran Recitation and Memorisation competition here today.

He said this when asked whether the government would again impose restriction on the number of people attending congregational prayers in mosques and surau following the increase in Covid-19 cases in the country.

On the Hizbut Tahrir Malaysia (HTM) movement, Zulkifli said he supported the action by the Johor Islamic Religious Council in banning it as its ideas are against the beliefs of Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah and could cause split in the society.

Asked whether action would be taken against HTM, he said, the matter comes under the jurisdiction of the respective state religious councils.

A total of 80 participants, aged between seven and 10 years, from all states, except Melaka, Kedah, Sabah and Sarawak, took part in the competition.

The winners for the Quran recitation for men’s category are Mohamad Hazman Ilias, from Kelantan (first prize), while  Ahmad Hazim Azrulrazi, of Johor, and Ahmad Fahim Aminuddin, from Johor, won the second and third prize, respectively.

For the women’s category, the winners are Khairunnizifah Imani Ishak of Johor, Nor Afiqah Razali (Perak) and Nur Zaedatul Amni Mohamad Zaki (Kelantan) for the first, second and third prize, respectively. —  Bernama