Now, that rule has been relaxed further.
Traders appealed to the government
On Friday (23 April), the government has decided to allow Ramadan bazaars around the country to extend their operating hours, The Star Online reported.Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob told the news portal that beginning tomorrow (Saturday, 24 April), bazaars are allowed to operate until 2am.
The decision was made after traders had appealed for an extension of operating hours, as they said customers would only visit the bazaars after they performed their tarawih prayers.
Ismail Sabri said that extending the operating hours until only midnight will not work because it would be too short of a time for customers to shop around for things they need for Hary Raya.
"We allowed these bazaars to open to make it easy for the public to buy food for breaking fast. It is also an opportunity for petty traders to earn extra income," Ismail Sabri was quoted as saying.
However, he reminded those who frequent the bazaar to always adhere to the SOPs set by the government to avoid authorities from shutting down the bazaars due to non-compliance.
"We hope those who patronise the bazaars will adhere to SOP so that authorities will not be forced to close them," Ismail Sabri said.
While we are happy for the traders, we still think that it's risky for Ramadan bazaars to open till the wee hours of the morning.
Remember to always adhere to the SOP, yeah?