PUTRAJAYA (Bernama): Ramadan bazaars in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan will be allowed to operate this year in compliance with existing standard operating procedures (SOP), says Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim.

He said licences to operate Ramadan bazaars would be issued to individuals who intend to do business to drive economic activity in the Federal Territories.

“Ramadan bazaars will be open for those keen to do business. If licences are given, then traders must run the businesses themselves and not get others to operate them.

“In this post-Covid-19 period, we need to drive economic activities,” he said to reporters after inspecting the Putrajaya Agrobazaar and Food Truck Carnival here on Tuesday (Feb 8).

Last year, the operation of Ramadan bazaars was permitted but only in some areas in the Federal Territories under strict SOP, including entry and exit controls as well as physical distancing.

Commenting on concerns regarding the rise in Covid-19 cases, Shahidan said the Ministry is monitoring the situation closely and advised people to avoid crowded public places to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“Business activities will continue but large-scale meetings should be avoided,” he added.

Earlier, Shahidan planted a Tabebuia rosea (cherry blossom) or commonly known here as the Sakura Malaysia tree in Tasik Putrajaya in Precinct 2 here, in conjunction with a tree-planting campaign to plant 400,000 trees in Putrajaya.

According to Putrajaya Corporation, the tree planted by Shahidan marked the 50,000th one planted here. – Bernama