KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has urged Muslims to make Ramadan as a time to curb desires and not merely as a month for worship.

“We consider fasting as an important form of worship to shape our personality. Because during the fasting month, we have to control ourselves from committing anything prohibited by Islam; besides resisting food, we have to also restrain ourselves in many other aspects.

“This is the goodness of fasting during Ramadan. Insyaallah we will fast in a conducive environment and I hope all of us will become better humans for the self-control we have practised,” he said in his Ramadan message aired over TV1 tonight.

In this regard, Dr Mahathir also reminded Muslims not to be wasteful by buying excessive amounts of food at Ramadan bazaars.

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Even though Ramadan bazaar traders hoped to earn more income, fasting Muslims should exercise restraint to avoid wasting money.

Earlier, the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal Datuk Seri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad announced that fasting for Muslims in Malaysia will start tomorrow (Monday), May 6, 2019.

Syed Danial, in making the announcement, said the starting date for fasting in all states in Malaysia was fixed on the day at the decree of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong after the consent of the Malay Rulers.

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The brief announcement was telecast live via TV1 tonight. — Bernama