KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's Kedah state has banned Ramadan bazaars this year, while the Johor ruler urged the state government to also ban such fairs this year amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Four Malaysian states - Selangor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Terengganu - have decided not to organise the fasting-month food bazaars even as federal Cabinet ministers said they have not made a decision on the matter.

Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir said the decision to ban the bazaars was made at the state Cabinet (executive council) meeting on Wednesday (April 1).

"We want to avoid mass gatherings that can cause the disease to spread," he was quoted as saying by The Star online news. "We will ask all local authorities that have taken deposits for bazaar site rental or stalls to refund the payment."

Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, meanwhile, has urged the state authorities not to hold Ramadan bazaars this year.

Under Malaysia's federal system of government, the state authorities are allowed to make their own decision on a wide range of issues including on municipal matters.

Malaysia is into its 16th day of the 28-day movement control order (MCO) on Thursday, with most businesses shut and the public advised to stay indoors.

"The complete effect of the movement control order must be achieved first and this must be our priority and concern," Sultan Ibrahim said in a statement on his Facebook page on Thursday. "The Ramadan bazaar can wait."

The bazaars feature makeshift stalls selling freshly cooked food that are set up on closed roads and in open-air carparks all over the country.

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They are very popular with Malay Muslims, who throng the bazaars looking for food to break their day-long fast.

The Muslim fasting month starts on April 23 this year, nine days after the last day of Malaysia's MCO on April 14.

Singapore, too, has announced that its Ramadan bazaars - usually held in Geylang Serai and in the void decks of Housing Board blocks in many places - will not be held this year.

Malaysia on Thursday announced 208 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 3,116, the highest in South-east Asia. It also recorded five more deaths, reaching a total of 50.