174 non-Muslim houses of worship may open from June 10

The government has agreed to allow 174 non-Muslim houses of worship to be opened in the green zone only during the period of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) effective June 10.

However, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that for all these purposes, all houses of worship had to comply with the guidelines set by the National Security Council and the Ministry of Health (MOH).

“Today (May 21, 2020), Minister of National Unity, Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique has presented at the Ministerial Special Meeting on SOP non-Muslim houses of worship following the consultation and approval of the Head of the Non-Muslim Religious Body.

“The meeting has agreed to allow non-Muslim houses of worship to be opened in the Green Zone only during the CMCO period beginning June 10, 2020.

"Among the SOPs that need to be complied with is the number of worshippers attending the religious gathering should not exceed 30 people, depending on the size of the house of worship," he told a press conference here today.

Among the other SOPs listed by the authorities are:

Worshippers above 70 and children under 12 are not allowed to attend.

Body temperature checks, hand sanitizer preparation and wearing of face masks must be observed at all times.

This permission is for Malaysian citizens only.

This permission is also only for 1 to 2 days a week for their respective religious priority days.