Three mosques open doors to visitors again

PETALING JAYA: After temporarily closing to tourists due to fears over the novel coronavirus outbreak, three mosques, which are also top Islamic tourism sites in Malaysia, are now open to tours and visits again.

They are the Federal Territory Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, as well as the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque and the Putra Mosque in Putrajaya.

The Federal Territory Mosque, which announced its temporary closure on Monday, opened its doors to tourists again on Thursday.

The Putra Mosque, which closed on Sunday, opened its doors to tourists on Wednesday.

The Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque, which also announced its closure to tourists on Sunday, is now open to tours and visits as usual.

“We reopened after receiving word from the upper management. Now things are back to normal, ” said a Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque employee when contacted.

A staff member at the Federal Territory Mosque said tourists were now welcome to visit the mosque.

“Yes, we initially closed it due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, ” he said, adding that visitors could opt for a solo or a group tour at the mosque.

It made the same announcement on its social media, saying trained volunteers would be on hand to guide visitors on a “beautiful and unforgettable experience in and around the mosque”.

On Tuesday, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi when asked for comments on the mosques closing to tourists, said his ministry would be writing to the responsible parties to lift the ban.