KUALA LUMPUR: The organisers of Ramadan and Aidilfitri bazaars in Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman here are urged to improve compliance with the standard operating procedure (SOP) issued by the National Security Council to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said he also wanted the organisers, which comprised residents’ committee and hawkers’ association, to always be alert on the SOP and not to take it lightly.

“We encourage self-enforcement and community empowerment. Don’t wait until a compound or fine is imposed. The community managing these bazaars should always remind each other.

“We don’t want any more bazaars to be closed because it will be detrimental to the traders and buyers,” he said in a news conference after the handing over of clothes and emduit raya /emcontribution to persons with disabilities and asnaf here, today.

At the same time, Annuar said among the aspects that need to be improved was to increase the number of authorities such as Rela (People’s Volunteer Corps) members and to limit the number of visitors and their shopping time in the bazaar.

Previously, some photos of crowded bazaars and long queue which clearly ignored the physical distance regulation went viral on social media, creating a fear that it would trigger a bazaar cluster.

-- BERNAMA