KL Moslems pose as Chinese

KL Moslems pose as Chinese

KUALA LUMPUR (DPA): Moslems in Malaysia are resorting to speaking in Chinese or reading Chinese newspapers to avoid arrest by Islamic authorities for eating in restaurants during the fasting month of Ramadhan, a news report said yesterday.

However, their act has failed to save them from being caught by religious officials, who conduct regular raids on restaurants during the month-long fast which ends next week.

"They try all sorts of tricks during the raids, such as pretending to read Chinese language newspapers or talk in Chinese," the Malay language daily, Utusan Malaysia, quoted an Islamic official, A. Malik Masai, as saying.

Over half of Malaysia's 20 million population are Moslems, who have to fast from sunrise to sunset during Ramadhan unless they are sick or pregnant.