KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 — Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has decreed that the suspension of Friday prayers across the state will be prolonged until May 31 to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Private secretary to the Sultan, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani, in a statement today said congregational prayers and religious lectures at all mosques, surau and musolla (prayer premises) in Selangor were also ordered to be postponed to the same date.

He said Sultan Sharafuddin ordered that the postponed Friday prayers be replaced with zohor prayers and terawih prayers for Ramadan, which begins this month, adding that these can be done at home.

However, he said if the Covid-19 outbreak can be resolved earlier than May 31, a new directive will be issued.

"The Sultan affirmed that all the decreed must be complied with to avoid people gathering and risking increased exposure to Covid-19 infections,” he said in the statement.

Last month, the Sultan already decreed that Selangor would suspend all mosque activities until April 17.

The decision was made during a special meeting to look into the Covid-19 outbreak in the state on the orders of Selangor Sultan. It was attended by representatives of the Selangor Mufti Department, Selangor Islamic Religious Council, Selangor Islamic Religious Department and Selangor Covid-19 Special Committee.

Selangor is the worst-hit state in the country, recording 1,236 cases out of 4,683 as of April 12.