Kelantan Supermarkets To Halt Operations On First Day Of Raya

KOTA BHARU, March 11 (Bernama) -- The Kelantan State Government has decided that supermarkets across the state will not operate on the first day of Aidilfitri and Aidiladha, allowing workers to celebrate the festive occasions with their families.

State Local Government, Housing, Health and Environment Committee chairman Hilmi Abdullah said the decision was made in consideration of workers’ welfare, as last year’s half-day closure on Aidilfitri had still affected many employees.

He added that the decision came in response to an appeal from the supermarket workers’ association, which requested that staff be given the opportunity to fully celebrate the festival with their families.

Hilmi Abdullah said that food outlets and convenience stores in the state are allowed to resume operations after 1 pm on the first day of Raya.

He said the move was also in line with the Membangun Bersama Islam (MBI) policy, which recognises Aidilfitri as a day of victory after a month of fasting and seeks to give the Malay community the opportunity to celebrate the festival with their families.

Hilmi Abdullah therefore urged the public in the state to plan ahead when purchasing essential Hari Raya items, as supermarkets will be closed on the first day of the festival.

Meanwhile, he said supermarkets may apply to extend their operating hours until midnight during the last 10 nights of Ramadan, if needed.

According to him, such applications would be considered ahead of Raya eve to meet the expected increase in demand from shoppers.

He said that on Raya eve, traders at Aidilfitri bazaars would be allowed to extend their hours past midnight to ensure they could sell all their goods.

However, Hilmi stressed that traders must ensure their business sites are fully cleared and cleaned after operations end to maintain the area’s cleanliness and avoid fines.

He said that last year, several Aidilfitri bazaars left a build-up of waste at their sales sites, prompting the state government to deploy around 700 workers to clean up the areas.

--BERNAMA