Many believed that closing malls during Friday prayers will not solve the issue of loitering youths. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 18, 2014.
Those in politics and businesses in Terengganu are not convinced that closing supermarkets for two hours during Friday prayers is the answer to get loitering youths into mosques, and instead hope that the Barisan Nasional (BN) state government will take a leaf from PAS-led Kelantan in exercising flexibility for retailers.
Kelantan allows retailers to operate during Friday prayers as long as Muslim staff get to perform their religious duty, but Terengganu wants to enforce closure of all supermarkets and malls for the two hours of prayers effective January 1.
Although Kelantan has a similar ruling, the authorities there did provide room for compromise, said Richard Chan, the past president of the Malaysian Association for Shopping and Highrise Complex Management.
This was as long as retail operators did not stop their staff from going for their Friday prayers, he told The Malaysian Insider.
Malls in Kelantan also did not have to shut completely as they took into account non-Muslim visitors who still required food and beverage and other services, he said. As such, many retailers were still allowed to operate during prayer time.
Chan hoped that Terengganu could use the more flexible approach adopted by Kelantan, especially since Terengganu, known for its popular beach and island resorts, had a fair share of tourists coming to the state.
"Malaysia is a multicultural country, so perhaps there is a need to look into the needs of non-Muslims who would still want to shop and eat on a Friday afternoon," he said.
He agreed that it would not be right for Muslim employees to be kept from performing their Friday prayers in order to keep shops open.
"That would not be fair to Muslim employees, but other than that, there should be flexibility," he added.
Chan also said that mall operators could not simply close unless directly ordered by the authorities, given that they had signed lease agreements with their tenants.
Another retailer who operated in Kota Baru more than a decade ago related an incident where he and a group of other retailers had met former Kelantan menteri besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat when the state issued a similar order for businesses to close during Friday prayers.
"The MB said that if the malls are closed, youths would not be there.
"But when we asked him if that would mean they would go and pray, he said no, not necessarily.
"So we compromised and said we will semi-close for one hour and he agreed, very willingly, especially when we told him that non-Muslims would still want to shop and eat," said the retailer, who declined to be named.
The Kelantan government, however, in October announced that it would begin enforcing a section of the state by-laws that makes it a crime for Muslim men not to attend Friday prayers for three consecutive weeks. The punishment is imprisonment for up to a year or a fine of RM1,000.
Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman had said the state by-laws would be amended. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 18, 2014.On December 9, Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman had said at the state assembly sitting that the state exco had approved the closure of shopping premises in the state for two hours from 12.30pm on Fridays.
The regulation will come into effect on January 1 and the local authorities in the state would first be amending the by-laws, he said.
Terengganu MCA liaison committee chairman Datuk Toh Chin Yaw, expressed shock at the plan and said it was unfair to retail operators.
He said that business activities should be kept separate from religious requirements, adding that it would be better for the state authorities to advise the operators to cooperate and work together to ensure Muslims observe their religious obligations rather than enforcing closure.
"Ultimately, it should be up to the mall operator to decide whether to close or not.
"As long as the operations of the business does not hamper the worship sessions at mosques, it should be up to the business operators whether to stay open or otherwise," Toh told The Malaysian Insider.
Kuala Terengganu MP Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad of Islamist party PAS said that a better approach to the issue of loitering youths was to create awareness through religious education.
He added that even if the supermarkets were closed, these youths could always go to other areas to loiter, including the beach.
"Malaysia has many rules and regulations, but lacking in enforcement.
"So when they close the supermarkets and don't achieve the desired results, what will they close next?" he asked.
The PAS lawmaker also pointed out that the regulation was flexible in Kelantan, where traders were merely advised to allow their Muslim employees to go for Friday prayers.
Toh agreed with Raja Kamarul, saying that the problem was not with retailers, adding that the issue of loitering youths would not be solved by closing shopping premises during prayer time.
"The issue is with education, they need to be made aware of their religious obligations.
"The state government cannot impose on business operators to close in the hope that this will deter youths from loitering. It is just not fair," Toh said.
Terengganu Chinese Chamber of Commerce president Datuk Low Kian Chuan believed, however, that negative feedback to the state government's plan will not change its mind.
The closure should be accepted so as to fulfil the needs of the majority Muslim population, he said.
"Terengganu is a Muslim-majority state, and during their prayer time, they want to stop other activities so that Muslims can go to mosques.
"We should respect that, this is my personal opinion," he added.
Low said he would still gather feedback from the chamber's members on whether the regulation would affect their businesses.
- TMI
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