Will public buses, hotels also shut during Friday prayers?

MCA says the ruling is not only impractical but insensitive towards non-Muslims.

KUALA LUMPUR: The secretary of Kelantan MCA has lashed out at the state government for imposing impractical rules that affect not only Muslims in the community but non-Muslims as well.

According to a report on The Star Online, Lua Choo Hann said it was “not pragmatic” that all businesses close for two hours during Friday prayers, saying it would turn off tourists as well as foreign investors who would shy away from opening businesses in the state.

“Will businesses in hotels such as poolside cafés, restaurants and gymnasiums be closed?” he asked, adding that he wanted clarification from the local council if the services of public buses and lorries were affected too.

Taking it a step further, Lua demanded that DAP and PKR, partners with PAS in the opposition coalition, apologise to all the non-Muslims who they persuaded to vote for PAS, saying this new state ruling was insensitive towards them as it coincided with their lunch hour.

Echoing his sentiments was MCA vice-president Chew Mei Fun who disagreed with the ruling, saying it should be restricted to Muslims in the state only.

“We will not object to it if it is restricted to the community alone,” she was quoted as saying.

Chew, who is also Deputy Minister for Women, Family and Community Development explained that since the ruling also included businesses run by non-Muslims, the two-hour closure would affect the state’s overall economic well-being.

She too, like Lua said even tourists would be turned off by the ruling and explained that Malaysia’s “diverse society” is what that makes it unique to foreigners.