Senior minister: No Ramadan bazaars in any shape or form

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today said that the government will not allow any sort of bazaars, including e-bazaars or e-iftar, during Ramadan.

Despite initial proposals by the authorities, Ismail Sabri said that the Cabinet meeting today arrived at a decision not to allow any form of bazaar or stalls to operate during the fasting month.

“We have listened to views from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) on its plans to start e-iftar, where stalls are allowed to sell food during Ramadan.  

“However, the meeting today has decided that any type of business in regards to bazaars or Ramadan stalls including in the form of e-bazaar, e-iftar, ‘drive-thru’ or order-and-collect are not allowed,” he told a press conference this afternoon.  

However, he said that the purchase of food via e-hailing, which is allowed at the moment, will not be affected.

“We just don’t want to allow any form of bazaars. This is because, for an example, if a bazaar has 50 stalls and even though the business can be done via e-hailing, the place will still be congested and crowded and this is what we want to avoid.

“So e-hailing will be allowed, but there will not be any form of bazaars,” he added.