Clarification regarding Langkawi FM 104.8MHz airs Muslim's Maghrib and Isyak prayers to avoid confusion from the listeners in Langkawi.

I spotted a post of someone complaining about Langkawi FM for airing Muslim's Maghrib prayer earlier than local time on Facebook page yesterday, my Malay friends who are radio hobbyists also shared the posts too and expressed their opinion towards the complaint.

Although I'm a non-Muslim, but I'm a radio broadcast observer by obtaining the information from my Muslim friends regarding this matter. For your information, Langkawi FM relays Nasional FM from RTM Angkasapuri in Kuala Lumpur from 1900 hours to 0600 hours daily. 

Regarding his concern about Langkawi FM for airing Muslim prayers earlier than local time, the Muslim Maghrib and Isyak prayers on Langkawi FM 104.8MHz and 87.5MHz are actually coming from Nasional FM because the Langkawi radio station relays Nasional FM during non-broadcast hours. Nasional FM's Muslim prayers time are based in Kuala Lumpur where is the capital of Malaysia.

 

Technically, Langkawi FM's Muslim prayers based on local time are only 2 out of 5, which are Zohor and Asar because both are within Langkawi FM's broadcast hours, meanwhile the rest such as Maghrib, Isyak and Subuh prayers on Langkawi FM 104.8MHz are following Nasional FM.

Langkawi FM only broadcasts for 13 hours everyday from 0600 hours to 1900 hours. Previously, it was 12 hours. Before 2021, actually Langkawi FM relayed Kedah FM broadcast feeds after 1900 hours.

As Kedah FM has Langkawi frequency on 105.7MHz, it is a duplication when Langkawi FM 104.8MHz relayed Kedah FM feed during non-broadcast hours, I was alert of it when I was in Langkawi 5 years ago. Hence, I wrote email to RTM by suggesting Langkawi FM to relay Nasional FM or Radio Klasik after coming back from Langkawi.

Back to 2018, regarding my proposal towards Langkawi FM radio relay during non-broadcasting hours, initially I proposed Radio Klasik because Radio Klasik is more to classic entertainment, so it can fit to Langkawi listeners' taste, but I also added Nasional FM in my proposal as optional. So, RTM can decide either one. At last, RTM Langkawi FM chose to relay Nasional FM.

The Muslim prayers' issue on Langkawi FM also applies to Labuan FM. 

 

RTM Labuan FM's Isyak and Subuh prayers are following Nasional FM because Labuan FM relays Nasional FM from 7pm to 7am, meanwhile Labuan FM's Maghrib prayer is based on local time (within broadcast hours). According to my Malay Muslim radio DXer, Labuan prayer time is 1 hour earlier than Peninsular Malaysia.

In conclusion, you are tuning to Nasional FM actually from 7pm to 6am on Langkawi FM's and Labuan FM's frequencies. Nasional FM is based in Kuala Lumpur as RTM's flagship Malay language national radio station like ABC Radio National in Australia, Voice of Vietnam VOV-1 in Vietnam, China National Radio CNR-1 in China and NHK Radio 1 in Japan.