Tourism travel between RMCO states allowed from today under strict rules
Only travel for tourism via tour agencies, vehicles registered under ministry allowed
INTERSTATE travel for tourism between states that are under the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) is allowed from today. Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said travel for tourism under the targeted travel bubble would be subject to strict conditions.
“These conditions include using tourism agencies and tour vehicles registered with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.
“The use of private vehicles is not allowed as it will be difficult for police to monitor movement,” he said at a press conference yesterday.
He said travelling from one state that is under the RMCO to another via a state that is under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) is allowed.
However, he added, tour agencies’ vehicles cannot stop in the states under the CMCO.
“For example, those from Putrajaya wanting to go to Melaka are allowed to travel through Negri Sembilan (which is under the CMCO) without making any stops.”
He said accommodation and activities must be arranged in advance.
He said tour agency operators would seek permission from police for interstate travel on behalf of their customers.
States that are under the RMCO are Perlis, Melaka, Terengganu, Pahang, Sabah and the federal territories of Putrajaya and Labuan.
He said Langkawi would be placed under the RMCO from today as the island had been designated a green zone, with its last two Covid-19 cases recorded on Feb 20.
“As Langkawi is a tourist destination, the targeted travel bubble applies to the island,” he said, adding that Kedah was still under the CMCO.
On another matter, Ismail Sabri said failure to provide registration materials for visitors topped the list of 269 violations of the Movement Control Order’s (MCO) standard operating procedures (SOP) on Monday.
He said 85 cases involved failure to provide registration materials, followed by failure to observe physical distancing (66), not wearing face masks (65), interstate travel without approval (24), activities at entertainment outlets (14) and others (15).
He said 251 people were issued compounds and 18 remanded.
On the compliance task force, Ismail Sabri said 63,556 inspections were conducted nationwide.
He said 586 people who arrived via international entry points on Monday were all ordered to undergo quarantine.
He said 72 sanitisation exercises were carried out nationwide in 22 red zones, six orange zones, nine yellow zones and three green zones.
He said the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry made 652 inspections on 11 essential goods at 458 retailers, 168 wholesalers and 26 manufacturers.
“The ministry conducted 2,114 special inspections on SOP compliance. Of the total, 2,108 premises complied with the SOP, three were issued with compounds and three received warnings.”