KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 — Friday prayers at mosques in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya which are in Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan (PPN), are allowed to be held with up to 500 congregants, effective tomorrow.

Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) director Datuk Mohd Ajib Ismail said 250 congregants were allowed for the same purpose in seven zonal mosques as well as kariah mosques, while for Friday prayers surau, it was 150 people, and surau with special permission to hold the Friday prayers (100 people).

According to him, Friday prayers surau and surau with special permission to hold the Friday prayers at the People’s Housing Projects (PPR) and Public Housing (PA) under the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) would be allowed to hold the prayers with 80 congregants.

“Lectures and ‘tazkirah’ are allowed with attendance not exceeding the number of Friday prayer congregants for the tazkirah prior to Friday prayers, and not exceeding the number of congregants for obligatory prayers for other lectures, with physical distancing of 1.5m,” he said in a statement today.

Mohd Ajib said the new ruling was implemented after obtaining the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, and in line with the government’s announcement on the phase transition under the PPN.

Mohd Ajib said for obligatory prayers in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, 200 congregants were allowed at the Federal Territory Mosque; seven zonal mosques and kariah mosques (100 people); Friday prayers surau (50 people); Friday prayers surau and surau with special permission to hold the Friday prayers at PPR and PA DBKL as well as other surau (40 people).

Meanwhile, for Labuan, which is in Phase Four of the PPN, Mohd Ajib said Friday prayers in all zonal and kariah mosques, Friday surau, and and surau with special permission to hold the Friday prayers was allowed at half capacity, effective tomorrow.

At the same time, he said obligatory prayers were allowed to be held in congregation in all mosques and surau in Labuan, according to the size of the main prayer hall.

Apart from that, he said lectures and tazkirah were allowed with attendance not exceeding the number of Friday prayer congregants for tazkirah prior to the Friday prayers, and not exceeding the number of obligatory prayer congregants for other lectures, with physical distancing of 1.5m.

“All the rulings are subject to the standard operating procedures (SOP) that have been issued. May Muslims, especially those in the Federal Territories, continue to abide by the SOPs that have been set, and pray that the Covid-19 pandemic ends soon,” he said. — Bernama