IPOH, May 21 — Only 12 worshippers, limited to mosque officials and parish committee members, are allowed to perform Friday prayer, obligatory prayers and prayers for the dead at mosques and surau under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) in Perak.

Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIPk) director Datuk Mohd Yusop Husin said the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah gave the order after considering the advice from the Perak Fatwa Council and referring to the guidelines of the National Security Council (MKN) and the Ministry of Health.

"The Friday prayer is allowed at mosques and surau which are allowed to perform the Friday prayer. Other parish worshippers are required to perform the Zohor prayer to replace the Friday prayer at their respective homes.

"The obligatory prayers and Prayer for the Dead are only allowed in mosques, surau which are allowed to perform Friday prayer and other surau,” he said in a statement here, today.

Mohd Yusop said the "azan” (call to prayer) must be performed in the mosque and surau under the EMCO areas in Perak according to the method issued by the Mufti Department in the Religious Activities Implementation Circular, as follows.

"Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. The azan just now indicates the time of the obligatory prayer...In this regard, worshippers in the parish are to perform the congregational prayers with their respective family members at home,” he said.

He said any religious activity in mosques and surau such as religious classes and lectures were also not allowed during the period.

The four sub-districts involved are Pengkalan Hulu in Hulu Perak district, sub-district of Taiping in the Larut, Matang and Selama district, Hulu Kinta sub-district covering Ipoh, Lahat, Chemor and Tanjong Rambutan in the Kinta district and Hulu Bernam Timur in the Muallim district.

A total 382 new cases were reported in Perak today compared to 248 cases yesterday. — Bernama