ENTERING PHASE TWO
TIGHTER movement controls, including limiting the operating hours of services and use of vehicles, from tomorrow.
THE second phase of the Movement Control Order (MCO), to start on April 1, will see stricter rules being enforced by the authorities, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.
The stricter rules include limiting the operating hours of supermarkets or any premises that sell essential items, public transport, petrol stations, restaurants, home delivery, as well as for taxi and e-hailing services.
Ismail Sabri said the second phase of MCO would be different from what was being done now. However, he assured the public that it would not be a total lockdown.
“We will allow movement of the public. We are enhancing only some of the restrictions from phase one,” he said.
On the limited operating hours, he said some services would be allowed to operate 12 hours a day, while others got up to 16 hours.
“The meeting this morning (yesterday) has decided that all supermarkets or any premises selling essential times shall observe the new operating hours, which is from 8am to 8pm,” he said at a press conference aired live on Facebook yesterday.
The operating hours for petrol stations would be limited from 8am to 8pm, and the same for restaurants that are allowed to operate only for takeaways.
“The same applies to home delivery. For example, riders too will follow (the limited operating hours from 8am to 8pm).
“The government encourages the people to make purchases online, but try not to meet the riders because we want everyone to avoid contact.”
He said public transport could continue to operate from 6am to 10am and 5pm to 10pm. Taxis and e-hailing services were allowed to operate from 6am to 10pm daily.
He said a longer operating time was given to public transport as some Malaysians work shifts.
On private vehicles, Ismail Sabri said drivers were allowed to be on the road from 6am to 10pm, but only one person could be in the car, unless there was an emergency. Commercial vehicles carrying essential items, such as food and medicine, were encouraged to operate between 7pm and 7am, he said.
On rules for social activities, he said religious activities in mosques and surau had been cancelled since the first week of the MCO, while all activities involving other religions must be halted too, be it in churches or temples.
He added that recreational activities, too, were not allowed in any area, including gated communities.
“Flexibility is only given to those with autism and disabilities so that they can get therapy based on the advice of their doctors. But we do not allow this to be conducted in large groups.”
On those caught flouting the MCO, Ismail Sabri said there had been an increase in arrests, with 828 people detained at roadblocks nationwide. He said the number of arrests had increased lately.
“This shows that the police have started to take firmer action,” he said, adding that the police and armed forces mounted 1,520 roadblocks and had checked at least 257,287 vehicles.
He said roadblocks at toll plazas had also been increased from 23 to 65 yesterday.
“This number will be increased soon to all 114 toll plazas.”
Up to yesterday, 67,774 members of the police, armed forces, Civil Defence Force and People’s Volunteer Corps had been mobilised on a daily basis and this number would be increased soon if necessary, he said.
In a related development, several areas in Hulu Langat, Selangor, were placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) starting midnight yesterday.
The areas include those from Batu 21 to Batu 24 Sungai Lui in Hulu Langat following an increase in Covid-19 positive cases there.
A total of 271 Covid-19 cases were recorded in these areas and of the total, 91 were reported from Madrasah Nabawiyah Batu 24, Sungai Lui.
“We initially recorded 71 cases from the madrasah and the number has since increased,” said Ismail Sabri.
The EMCO affected 3,918 people and 700 houses. This included seven villages, of which two are Orang Asli villages.
Ismail Sabri said the EMCO was enforced as part of the government’s effort to combat the Covid19 outbreak by breaking the chain of infection in the country. The new measures introduced in Hulu Langat would involve strict rules to be observed by all residents in the affected areas until the EMCO period ends.
Up to noon yesterday, Selangor recorded 60 new cases, bringing its cumulative cases to 672, followed by Kuala Lumpur (24 new cases, 396 in total), Johor (24 new cases, total 333), Perlis (one new case, 11 in total), Kedah (two new cases, 77 in total), Penang (one new case, 88 in total), Perak (8 new cases, 184 in total), Negri Sembilan (10 new cases, 172 in total), Melaka (7 new cases, 50 in total), Pahang (3 new cases, 99 in total), Terengganu (no new case, 47 in total), Sabah (four new cases, 201 in total), Sarawak (six new cases, 135 in total), Putrajaya (two new cases, 24 in total) and Labuan (no new case, 10 in total). Page 1 pic: Police and armed forces personnel manning a roadblock at the entrance to Batu 24 Sungai Lui in Hulu Langat, Selangor, yesterday.