The public, he said, should not let their guard down when celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri to protect both themselves and the people around them.

“Wearing of face masks is still compulsory inside buildings, but outside of buildings in open spaces like this, wearing of masks is not required,” he told reporters before leaving Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan after performing his Aidilfitri prayers today.

Ismail said he was satisfied with the precautions adopted by the people to avoid contracting or spreading the virus.

“While coming here earlier, I saw many people walking to the mosque with their masks on. This shows they are still being cautious.

“So Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God), despite being given the freedom, they are not throwing caution to the wind.”

The prime minister took the opportunity to again wish all Muslims “Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri”.

On April 27, health minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced further relaxation of the Covid-19 SOPs effective May 1, including lifting the requirement to wear face masks outdoors and doing away with scanning of the MySejahtera QR code before entering premises.

The move, which is in line with the country’s transition to the endemic phase of Covid-19, allows Muslims to celebrate Hari Raya without restrictions for the first time in more than two years.