LC: 121 Ramadan bazaar lots to be offered to Malaysian traders only

By Jailani Hasan

LABUAN, March 7 -- Labuan Corporation (LC) will hold the annual Ramadan bazaars next month, with 121 lots to be offered to Malaysian traders at two approved sites.

LC acting chief executive officer Rithuan Ismail said the Ramadan bazaars on the duty-free island was in line with the Federal Territories Ministry’s decision to allow Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan to operate such bazaar this year, in compliance with the existing standard operating procedure (SOP).

“We will be going ahead with the Ramadan bazaars at the Labuan Walk, with 101 lots and around the abandoned Hotel Labuan building and 20 lots at the Anjung Selera Durian Tunjong.

“We would like to urge members of the public to adhere to the SOP and strictly avoid physical contact at the two bazaar sites as to prevent possible new clusters,” he said to Bernama today.

Rithuan said the registration for the bazaar lots through a voting process will be held on March 19 at Labuan International Sea Sports Complex compound.

“We only allow Malaysians to register for the voting process and only one lot is allocated to any successful applicant,” he said.

Muslims in Malaysia will begin the fasting month of Ramadan in the first week of April.

On Feb 14, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was reported to have said that economic activities are expected to proceed as usual without additional restrictions, including Ramadan bazaars in early April, amid a rising number of COVID-19 cases.

He also gave an assurance there would be no new curbs despite the new wave of Omicron cases in the country.

“We will not close down businesses, Raya celebration, fasting month, Ramadan bazaars and night markets will go on as usual,” he said, adding that more refined SOP would be set for Ramadan bazaars, which will be announced later.

-- BERNAMA