PUTRAJAYA, May 14 — Putrajaya announced today that the national fatwa committee has decided to permit congregational prayers, including weekly Friday, nightly tarawih, and the Aidilfitri prayers in Federal Territories, under strict conditions.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Zulkifli Mohamad said that this is allowed only in select mosques in the territories’ Covid-19 green zones, and it was also decided that each congregation cannot exceed 30 people, not including the imam.

"This decision is in line with the National Security Council’s meeting, and after my meeting with the Prime Minister on Tuesday,” he said in a special address.

The decision was granted assent by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in his capacity as the Head of Islam in the Federal Territories.

"Other congregational prayers in select mosques and suraus within the conditional movement control order (MCO) period will be implemented in stages, starting after Friday prayers tomorrow, per the committee’s proposal.

"The mosque and surau managements must ensure there is control in terms of police and religious authorities’ presence. I have contacted the Inspector-General of Police on the matter, and he has agreed to co-operate fully on this,” Zulkifli said.

Mosques in other states will be depending on the decision of their respective state’s Islamic authorities.

The Islamic Affairs minister added that the mosque and surau managing committee members must also ensure the NSC and Health Ministry’s standard operating procedures are fully adhered to by their congregants.

To this, Zulkifli proposed several points for the consideration of the state religious authorities, including counters at the entrance to limit the number of congregants, as well as measure body temperatures, oversee hand sanitisation and record attendance.

Only those aged between 15 and 70 are allowed to attend, and the doors to the mosques can only be opened up an hour before the azan, or the call to prayer, and closed after the prayers are done.

"Other points include sanitising the prayer area, toilets, and ablution areas before and after prayers, limiting the number of people using the toilet at any given time, and requiring congregants to bring identification, failure of which they must be instructed to turn back,” he said.

Zulkifli also pleaded with the public, particularly middle-aged or elderly persons who yearn to go for prayers again, to patiently wait until their respective state religious authorities have permitted them to.

"We comply with their directive. For those states who have been granted permission to conduct daily prayers and Friday prayers, we can only pray that everything goes accordingly and may God preserve them,” he said.