Ramadan is a time for Muslims to fast but every year, there are always issues when it comes to those not fasting eating in public. Most people don’t care about seeing everyone else around them eat as that’s the whole point of Ramadan which is to practice self-control.
Some people however, are extremely sensitive about seeing non-Muslims or those who cannot fast eat in public as they feel like they should respect those who are fasting. There’s a never ending debate about these issues and by the looks of it, another one has arisen.
They don’t let me dine in because it’s Bulan Puasa, apparently in Seri Iskandar, Perak, you’re not allowed to dine in, in any shops until 3pm
Even though I’m not fasting
Is this fair for all the Non-Muslims / People who are not fasting out there? pic.twitter.com/fG5CaqQUlG
— Ahvin Raaj (@AhvinRaaj) April 4, 2022
Twitter user @AhvinRaaj tweeted a photo of a prohibition notice in Perak that says food establishments are not allowed to operate before 3pm. If any establishment is found guilty, they will be fined or jailed or both. In his tweet, Ahvin expressed his dissatisfaction regarding this rule.
“They don’t let me dine in because it’s Bulan Puasa. Even though I’m not fasting. Is this fair for all the non-muslims/people who are not fasting out there?,” he tweeted. The tweet has since gone viral gaining over 2k retweets, 692 quote tweets and 3,748 likes. Netizens replied and quote tweet the tweet discussing the matter.
Some netizens including Muslims say that it’s unfair that non-Muslims are not allowed to dine-in anywhere before 3pm as they feel like non-Muslims should have the right to eat whenever they want. Some have even expressed concern for those with children regardless of religion as they are too young to fast.
The viral tweet caught the attention of Yang Dipertua Majlis Daerah Perak Tengah (MDPT), Mohd Syukri Azaari. According to Sinar Harian, he clarified that the prohibition notice is only applied to Muslim business owners. The notice has been reported to be cancelled as it caused much confusion among netizens and the general public.
Authorities have since apologised for the confusion but still advised that customers and business owners to respect the sensitivity of the local community during the month of Ramadan.
