Singapore will not import livestock for Eid al Adha due to COVID-19 challenges

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) said on Monday (June 8) the country will not import livestock this year for the Eid al Adha festival of sacrifice.

The government statutory body said the COVID-19 situation makes the process of importing livestock and organising the slaughtering of the animals at mosques “challenging” this year.

“This is especially considering that the situation may remain fluid over the next two months, and the process of importing livestock, distributing the livestock to the mosques and organising the ritual slaughter at the mosques requires careful and advanced planning and execution,” said MUIS.

Instead, mosques will “facilitate arrangements” for Muslims who wish to perform the qurban ritual in Australia, and the meat can be shipped to Singapore.

Mosques will continue with the practice of distributing a portion of the meat to low-income families within the community, said MUIS.

Local mosques will appoint and partner with individual vendors who must adhere to regulatory requirements for the importation of meat set by the Singapore Food Agency.

Eid al Adha will be observed in Singapore on July 31.

MUIS in mid-May announced that it was deferring all 900 of Singapore's prospective haj pilgrims this year to 2021, citing health and safety concerns amid the continuing outbreak of COVID-19.

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