Islamic viewpoints on Covid-19 to be presented to rulers to seek consent for action

The viewpoints of Islamic jurisprudence in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic will be presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and state rulers for consent for further action.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri said the viewpoints were gathered during the national council for Islamic affairs fatwa committee meeting yesterday as decreed by the Agong.

"The Fatwa committee members also examined the legal studies tabled by Aizam Mas'od, director of the Fatwa al-Zuhaili Research and Management Centre, Federal Territory Mufti’s Office,” he said in a statement today.

The meeting chaired by the fatwa committee chairperson Zahidi Wan Teh was attended by all state muftis and representatives, state Islamic religious department directors as well as state Islamic religious council representatives.

Also present were Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) director-general Mohtar Mohd Abd Rahman who gave updates of the Covid-19 situation.

Meanwhile, Noor Hisham on his official Facebook today said he also held a  discussion with the tabligh members who attended a recent convention with the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) and the Sri Petaling Mosque management.

He said among the issues raised were the current Covid-19 situation, particularly on the cluster related to tabligh members and steps taken by the Health Ministry as well as the mosque.

"The mosque management will assist and work closely with the Health Ministry and Jakim to continue to get in contact with the tabligh members to ensure that all involved would go for health examination and screening,” he said.

Noor Hisham also urged those who attended the recent tabligh rally to contact the nearest district health office for further action.

Participants at the tabligh convention will be placed under surveillance and observation under Section 15 (1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 1988 for a period of 14 days from the last day of the gathering held at the Sri Petaling mosque or last had contact with a Covid-19 case, whichever is later.

As at noon today, 190 new Covid-19 cases were reported, bringing the cumulative number in the country to 428 cases. 

According to preliminary investigations, most of the new cases are linked to the cluster involving the tabligh assembly at the Sri Petaling mosque.

- Bernama