The London Olympics which opens Friday marks the first time the Summer Games will be held during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan since the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

During Ramadan, which began last weekend, Muslims are expected to give up food, drink and sex from dawn until sunset, when they break their fast with a meal known as “Iftar”.

But a senior member of the National Fatwa Council, Malaysia’s top religious authority, said athletes can postpone their fast until after the Games as they are competing at an international event for the nation’s honour.

“They are going to the Olympics to bring fame for the country. They can fast when they return to Malaysia,” Mufti Harussani Zakaria, the top religious official for the Malaysian state of Perak, told AFP on Monday.

“The Qur’an says if you have a mission to complete, you can postpone the fasting but you must replace the number of days you did not fast.”

Islamic authorities in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, and Morocco have recently allowed their athletes to postpone their fasts despite disagreement from some Muslims.

Eleven out of the 30 Malaysian athletes going to London are Muslims. One of Malaysia’s top medal prospects, cyclist Azizulhasni Awang, who won silver at the 2009 track cycling world championships, is among the athletes who will put off fasting, Malaysian media reported this week.

Sieh Kok Chi, secretary of the Olympic Council of Malaysia, also said Olympic athletes should not fast while competing.

Malaysia will compete in nine sports in London, with Malaysian Muslims taking part in archery, cycling, shooting, sailing and track and field.