JOHOR BARU, April 2 — Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar today urged the authorities to refrain from having Ramadan bazaars in light of the country’s Covid-19 crisis.

He said now is not the time to hold any event involving mass gatherings as new Covid-19 cases are being detected on a daily basis.

“The complete effect of the movement control order (MCO) must be achieved first and this must be our priority and concern. The Ramadan bazaar can wait,” said Sultan Ibrahim in a statement posted on his official Facebook page today.

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Sultan Ibrahim is the first state sultan to speak on the concerns of holding Ramadan bazaars in conjunction with the Muslim fasting month.

He said people must be patient, stay at home and avoid any contact with others until the health authorities give the clearance.

“If we don’t follow and ignore the MCO, the virus will spread and further strain the resources of our healthcare system, putting our healthcare workers and other frontliners at even greater risk. If we reach breaking point then we will all be helpless,” cautioned Sultan Ibrahim.

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The 61-year-old state monarch added that if the crisis further worsens it would have disastrous consequences on all strata of society and the country as a whole.

“Do not take advantage of the situation and hold any mass gatherings. There should be no excuses.

“Everybody must play their part to contain and fight the spread of this deadly disease. The faster we all cooperate, the sooner we can return to normalcy,” said Sultan Ibrahim.

Sultan Ibrahim added that it is now the time for all to unite and help the government combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Forget about politics, please… let us work together to save our country from this crisis,” he urged.

With calls by many organisations to call off this year’s Ramadan bazaars nationwide due to the Covid-19 crisis, Johor has yet to make a decision, pending a state government directive.

On the other hand, Selangor follows in the steps of Melaka, Negri Sembilan, and Terengganu — all who have cancelled this year’s Ramadan bazaars as part of their efforts to stop the number of Covid-19 positive cases from increasing.

Yesterday, Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah suggested for Malaysians to hold Ramadan bazaars online or as a drive-thru, amid debate whether the annual practice should go one amid Covid-19 pandemic.