PUTRAJAYA: The prediction by the International Astronomy Centre based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that Syawal 1 is on April 21 in most countries will be discussed in the Fatwa Committee of the National Council, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar.
“We have to wait. We will discuss it at the level of the Fatwa Committee and as much as possible, we want to avoid what happened last year, like the unexpected Aidilfitri announcement that caught many by surprise.
“I don’t want to pre-empt and will leave it to the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal to decide,” he told Bernama after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleaning Corporation (SWCorp) and the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department here yesterday.
In Malaysia, the declaration of the date of Syawal 1 will be made by the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal immediately after receiving the report of the moon sighting and consent from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who represents the Malay Rulers.
The Gulf News portal reported that the International Astronomy Centre based in the UAE had announced that Muslim countries would carry out the obligation to observe the crescent sighting to determine the beginning of the month of Syawal on April 20, which is likely to be the end of Ramadan.
