SELANGOR SULTAN URGES PUBLIC NOT TO BELIEVE SPECULATION ON RAYA DATE

SHAH ALAM, March 13 (Bernama) -- The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has urged all parties to remain patient and not be easily influenced by baseless speculation regarding the date of the first day of Syawal, which marks Aidilfitri.

According to a statement issued by Istana Alam Shah today, His Royal Highness disapproves of such baseless assumptions and unfounded predictions, which could cause confusion among Muslims.

“The Sultan emphasises that the official announcement of the Aidilfitri date will only be made by the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal on Thursday, March 19, 2026, after obtaining the consent of the Malay Rulers, in accordance with the long-established practice in this country,” the statement said.

His Royal Highness therefore called on all parties to read and fully understand the statement issued by the Selangor Mufti Department as well as the Friday sermon on the matter.

Sultan Sharafuddin said Malaysia has its own method of determining the beginning of the months of Ramadan and Syawal through the rukyah and hisab methods, which are carried out in an orderly and meticulous manner based on decisions made by the relevant religious authorities.

His Royal Highness said the method has long been accepted and agreed upon by the Conference of Rulers and should not be compared with or influenced by determinations made by other countries.

The Selangor Mufti Department clarified on Tuesday that the beginning of an Islamic month depends on the sighting of the hilal (new moon) and data on the moon’s position on the date of observation in a particular country.

“Each country has a different matla’ ru’yah,” it said.

Today’s Friday sermon explained the method used to determine the beginning of Syawal and advised Muslims to leave the responsibility to the relevant authorities.

His Royal Highness also called on Muslims not to be overly preoccupied with discussions about the date of Aidilfitri to the extent of neglecting the last ten nights of Ramadan, a highly valuable period for increasing acts of worship, prayers and seeking forgiveness from Allah.

-- BERNAMA