KUCHING, April 22 — The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) will allow food sellers to operate from their homes for the Ramadan fasting month, deputy chairman Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said today.

He stressed that the sellers may not set up tables and chairs for their customers to break their fast inside the compound.

“They can only prepare takeaways for their customers,” he told reporters at a press conference that was presided by SDMC chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said.

Karim said the food stallholders may only operate from 3pm to 10pm throughout the Ramadan month.

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“We also encourage the food stallholders to sell their food items through on-line,” he said.

He said fast-food chains and restaurants are also allowed to operate from 3pm to 10pm to sell Ramadan food.

He said people who want to go out and the Ramadan food must strictly observe the one-person-per-car rule imposed under the movement control order (MCO).

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He added the police will arrest them if they violate the rules.

Asked to clarify if the 7am to 7pm rule has been relaxed to enable people to come out until 10pm, during the month of Ramadan, Karim said it is still being imposed.

He said if the police stop them at roadblocks, they will have to tell the police that they are buying food for the next day before the start of the fasting.

“We allow the food stalls to remain open and the people to buy food items from them until 10pm,” he said.

Karim, who is also the tourism, arts culture minister, said food trucks are not allowed to operate during the fasting month.