Sacrificial worship SOP focuses on attendance, animal health

The standard operating procedure (SOP) of sacrificial worship will emphasise on the number of individuals present during the ritual and the health of the livestock involved, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Ahmad Marzuk Shaary.

He said the SOP would be announced by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.

"I hope that the SOP will be used uniformly throughout the country," he said.

He said this after launching a sacrificial worship and ‘akikah’ (sacrifice of an animal on the occasion of a child's birth) acceptance programme in Cambodia organised by the Religious Services Employees Association (PKPU) of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) at the Putrajaya Islamic Complex, here today.

On Wednesday, Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that sacrificial worship activities in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidiladha were allowed in the Federal Territories with tight SOP involving an attendance up to 30 people at one time to manage a cow.

So far, the states that permitted the sacrificial worship were Perlis, Kedah, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor.

Meanwhile, in KUCHING, mosques and surau in Sarawak keen to carry out the sacrificial worship would need to obtain livestock slaughter permits from the State Department of Veterinary Services or any district Veterinary Services Office.

Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi said according to the guidelines set by the Sarawak Islamic Council (MIS), mosques and surau should also set up an organising committee and register with the divisions’ Islamic Religious Offices.

"The organisation of sacrificial worship this year must adhere to every guideline set by the MIS, while the sacrificial animal supplier must also obtain a veterinary health certificate from the State Department of Veterinary Services or any district Veterinary Services Office," he said in a statement received here.

-- BERNAMA