Muslims in Malaysia celebrate Hari Raya today

KUALA LUMPUR: Muslims in Malaysia will celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri today, Keeper of the Ruler’s Seal Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad announced.

“In keeping with the command of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, following the consent of the Rulers, I hereby declare that the date for Hari Raya for the states in Malaysia has been set for Wednesday, April 10, 2024,” he said.

The announcement was broadcast over local television networks yesterday.

Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, in a statement yesterday, said Malaysia uses the methods of “Rukyah” (moon sighting) and “Hisab” (astronomical calculations) based on the criteria of “Imkanur Rukyah” to determine the beginning of Syawal.

He said the criteria refers to the condition where the new moon is considered visible if it is at a position not less than 3° and 6.4° above the horizon when the sun sets.

Mohd Na’im said this following the Hari Raya date announcement on Monday for Saudi Arabia, which will celebrate the first of Syawal today. This had caused speculation among the public.

According to him, Saudi Arabia conducted the moon sighting on Monday evening (a day earlier than Malaysia) as Ramadan is marked earlier in that country.

“As we know, the country is located further west than Malaysia,” he said. — Bernama