Tobias Sylvester
Malaysian Islamic officials have disguised as waiters in restaurants to catch Muslims who are not participating in the Ramadan fast.
32 enforcement officers in the Malaysian district of Segamat are dressing up as cooks and waiters to catch Muslims who choose to eat during the holy month of Ramadan, the New Straits Times newspaper reported on Thursday.
Tea-brewers and noodle chefs were selected from the ranks of the department’s officers to carry out the task of being Ramadan Police.
These officials will be placed at 185 food premises where they will identify Muslims who aren’t fasting, snap a photo of them, and send it to the local religious affairs department.
Segamat Municipal Council president Mohamad Masni Wakiman told the New Straits Times: “We have specially selected enforcement officers who are dark skinned for the undercover job,”
Dark skinned officials were chosen because their cover will be more convincing since many restaurant staff are migrants workers. Wakiman added:
“They sound convincing when they speak in Indonesian and Pakistani lingo, so that customers will believe they are really hired to cook and serve meals and take menu orders.”
If Muslims are seen ordering food during the daytime, the officers will secretly take pictures of them and contact the local religious affairs department for further action, Wakiman said.
If a Muslim is caught breaking the fast by one of the officers, he or she might face a fine of up to $329 or up to six months in detention or both.
