Kelantan's night market ruling does not apply to non-Muslims

The Kelantan government''s new policy requiring night market traders to stop their activities for 10 minutes during Maghrib prayers does not apply to non-Muslim traders and visitors.

State Local Government, Housing, Youth and Sports Committee chairman Datuk Ab Fattah Mahmood said non-Muslim night market traders and visitors could continue their activities during that time.

"The ruling is aimed at providing comfort to Muslim traders to perform Maghrib prayers as the prescribed time for it is quite short, which is only about an hour.

"If we don''t do something to remind them of the time, it is feared that they will remain preoccupied and miss the prayers, which is of the pillars of Islam.

"As such, non-Muslim traders and visitors need not to worry about it as there is no restriction for them to continue their activities during that time," he told reporters at the Kota Darul Naim Complex here today.

Ab Fattah said this in response to the remarks by several individuals, including Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) vice-president Datuk Husam Musa who questioned the ruling, and former Minister in the Prime Minister''s Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim who and described it illegal and had no basis in law.

-- BERNAMA