Travel limited to 10km to buy necessities
rahimyr@thestar.com.my
Travel to purchase food, daily necessities, medicine or dietary supplements has been limited to not more than 10km of a person’s residence during the movement control order (MCO) period, according to a new federal gazette on the MCO.
These are among the regulations listed under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within the Infected Local Areas) (No. 2) Regulations 2020, effective from April 1 to 14, which were uploaded on the Attorney General’s Chambers website yesterday.
Under the movement control conditions, the 10km radius applies to people moving from one place to another only to buy food, daily necessities, medicine or dietary supplements.
Others include to supply or deliver food, daily necessities, medicine or dietary supplements, seek healthcare or medical services, perform any official duty or any duty in relation to essential services.
In addition, a person is not allowed to be accompanied by another person unless it is reasonably necessary.
The gazette also notes that if a person needs to move from one place to another due to “a special and particular reason, that person shall obtain prior written permission of the police officer in charge of the nearest police station to the residence of the person”.
“On control of gathering, no person shall gather or be involved in any gathering in any premises within any infected local area whether for religious, sports, recreational, social or cultural purposes.
“A person may gather or be involved in a gathering for the purpose of a funeral ceremony on the condition that the attendance to such ceremony shall be kept to the minimum,” the gazette adds.
Each citizen, permanent resident of Malaysia or an expatriate returning from overseas shall also undergo health examination upon arrival in Malaysia before proceeding for immigration clearance at any point of entry and shall comply with any direction of an authorised officer.
Those who contravene any of the provisions of the regulations or any direction of the director-general or an authorised officer commits an offence and shall, upon conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding RM1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding six months or both.
The number of essential services under the MCO has also been reduced to 10 which includes food, water, energy, communications and the Internet.
The gazette also lists security and defence, solid waste and public cleansing management and sewerage, healthcare and medical including dietary supplements as essential services.
Others are banking and finance, e-commerce as well as logistics confined to the provision of essential services.
The regulations define “essential services” as including any activity and process in the supply chain of each of the services.
The update shows a reduction from the 22 services listed in the March 18 gazette, which was the first day of the MCO.
Among the essential services that have been removed are fire services, port, dock and airport services, prison, production and related activities to the supply and distribution of fuel and lubricants, wildlife, immigration, Customs, hotels and accommodation.
Malaysia entered the second phase of the MCO yesterday; it is scheduled to end April 14.