Ramadan will thus begin on Saturday, said Minister Maftuh Basyuni.

“We try to minimize differences between our people, however if that does happen I hope that won’t affect our unity,” Maftuh said.

Team member Cecep Nurwaenda said watchers were arrayed at nine points across the archipelago, including at the Boscha Observatory near Bandung, West Java.

“We have a team in each region to observe the moon very closely,” he said.