KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 — The evening of Tuesday, April 9, has been set to sight the Syawal new moon to determine the date of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, the Office of the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal announced today.
It said the Conference of Rulers had consented to set the date based on the 'rakyat' method of sighting the new moon and the 'hisab' calculation based on mathematics and astronomy.
The Keeper of the Rulers' Seal will announce the date for Aidilfitri over radio and television that night.
29 locations have been identified nationwide for the sighting of the Syawal new moon. They include:
- Pontian Kecil in Johor.
- Kompleks Falak Al-Khawarizmi, Kampung Balik Batu, and Tanjung Bidara in Melaka.
- Kompleks Baitul Hilal Telok Kemang in Negeri Sembilan.
- Bukit Melawati, Bukit Jugra, Banting, and Balai Cerap Sabak Bernam in Selangor.
- Manjong in Perak.
- Pusat Falak Sheikh Tahir, Pantai Pasir Panjang, and Pantai Acheh in Penang.
- Kampung Pulau Sayak Kuala Muda, Pemandangan Indah Pulau Langkawi, and Menara Alor Setar in Kedah.
- Bukit Besar, Bukit Geliga, Pulau Perhentian, Besut, and Balai Cerap Kusza, in Terengganu.
In Kelantan, the locations include Bukit Peraksi in Pasir Puteh, Bukit Kampung Tembeling in Kuala Krai, and at Menara Bangunan SEDC in Kota Bharu. For Sarawak, they include Pusat Falak in Miri, Teluk Bandung in Kuching, and Tanjung Batu in Bintulu.
In Sabah, the location is Balai Cerap Al-Biruni in Putatan; while for Pahang the locations include Bukit Tanjong Batu, Nenasi, Gunung Berincang, Cameron Highlands, and at Menara Kuantan 188.
Four other locations are at Menara Universiti Malaysia Sabah in Labuan, Menara Kuala Lumpur, the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, and Menara Pandang Masjid Al-Hussain in Kuala Perlis.
— Bernama
