PUTRAJAYA MAY 10: Malaysian government has decided to impose the Movement Control Order (MCO) nationwide effective 12th May until 7th June 2021 to prevent the country from a national crisis as COVID-19 infections surged.
Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said, the government has to take strict preventive measures to stop COVID-19 from spreading as the daily cases have reached 4,000 with 37,396 active cases and 1,700 deaths until 10th May 2021.
“The existence of new variants and high infectivity rate, constraints on the public health capacity that has become crucial, not adhering to the standard operating procedure (SOP) in some parts of the community has made the government to take drastic action to avoid the country from being trapped in a serious health disaster,” Muhyiddin said in a statement here today.
Muhyiddin said, the decision was made at the National Security Council Special Meeting which he chaired today that had derived the following and among the SOPs set were:-1) Inter-district/state not allowed except for emergency purposes, health, work, economy, vaccination appointment and long distant married couples. 2) All kinds of gathering are banned and this includes “kenduri”, wedding and engagement, birthday celebration, tahlil and “doa”,, dinner.
Meanwhile, official government and private sectors’ events, seminar, conference, meeting involving face-to face are not allowed.
Muhyiddin added, the “akad nikah” event is allowed with the numbers present and the SOP decided by the state religious authority for the Muslims and the National Registration Department for non-Muslims.
All sports and recreational activities are not permitted except individual sports such as jogging, cycling and exercise with physical distancing.
The other SOP includes only three persons are allowed in a private vehicle, taxi,e-hailing including the driver . The number of persons in a vehicle carrying products and product chain activities is subject to the numbers allowed on the commercial vehicle license.
Dine-in at the restaurant and food shop is not allowed. The sales of food should only be in the form of drive in and take-away.
“Employers will have to compulsory implement the Work from Home policy (BDR) and with the presence of not more than 30 percent of management staffs at all times. BDR for the civil servants will be decided by the Chief Secretary to the Government from time to time.
Muhyiddin said, visiting from house to house and the cemetery is not allowed during the Aidilfitri. Aidilfitri prayers in the mosque and “surau” with the capacity of 1,000 people are permitted with the presence of not more than 50 people and 20 people with the capacity of less than 1,000 for the fardhu and Friday prayers.
However he said, the SOP for the operation of worship houses for non-Muslims will be tightened and set by the Ministry of Unity.
The implementations that had been set in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan will continue.
Muhyiddin added, all economic sectors are allowed to resume as usual.
The Prime Minister said: “We have been successful to flatten the curve of COVID-19 infections in the first and second waves. I would like to remind that the third wave that we are facing now is more aggressive and critical. We have not won.” –Malaysia World News
