SHAH ALAM, March 13 — The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj has urged the public to refrain from speculating on the date of this year’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri and to await the official announcement on Thursday (March 19).
This follows online speculation suggesting the celebration could fall on Friday (March 20), rather than Saturday (March 21).
The Selangor Royal Palace said His Royal Highness does not look kindly upon such baseless assumptions and predictions, which could cause confusion among Muslims.
“The Sultan urges all parties to remain patient and not easily believe unverified speculation.
“The public is also advised to read and understand the statements issued by the State Mufti Department as well as the Friday sermon on this matter,” it said in a statement today.
On Tuesday (March 10), the State Mufti Department said that the beginning of an Islamic month depends on the sighting of the hilal (new crescent moon) and the lunar position on the date of observation, with each country having a different moon-sighting zone.
Today’s Friday sermon also outlined the methods used to determine the start of the month of Syawal, advising Muslims to leave this responsibility to the relevant authorities.
Sultan Sharafuddin reminded that the official announcement of the Aidilfitri date will be made only by the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal on March 19, after receiving the consent of the Malay Rulers, in accordance with long-standing practice and established procedure.
“Malaysia has its own method for determining the beginning of the months of Ramadan and Syawal through rukyah (moon sighting) and hisab (astronomical calculation) methods, which are carried out in an orderly and careful manner, guided by decisions made by the relevant religious authorities.
“This method has long been trusted and agreed upon by the Conference of Rulers and should not be compared with or influenced by determinations made by other countries,” said the Palace.
It added that His Royal Highness also urged Muslims not to focus on discussions about Aidilfitri’s date, and instead prioritise the last ten nights of Ramadan.
