SIX STATES DECIDE TO NOT ADOPT CMCO
They believe more study needs to be done before MCO can be lifted
ALMOST half of the total number of states in Malaysia have opted to maintain the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) under the Movement Control Order (MCO) instead of adopting the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), which comes into effect today.
The six states — Pahang, Kedah, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Sarawak and Sabah — believed that more study needed to be done on the implications of resuming economic activities before the MCO could be lifted.
In Kuantan, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said it would not adopt the CMCO until its state Security Council Committee decided on the next course of action this Friday.
The state government, he said, had to study and fine-tune the guidelines to ensure that they were suitable to tackle the Covid19 outbreak in Pahang.
Wan Rosdy said that while the state government respected the announcement by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on the CMCO, it was in a unique situation given that there was a new Covid-19 cluster at a religious school in Lanchang, Temerloh.
“It (CMCO) will be discussed in detail during the weekly state Security Council Committee meeting on Friday.
“The MCO restrictions in Pahang will continue pending a decision by the committee,” he said yesterday.
On Friday, Muhyiddin announced that Malaysia would enter into the Conditional Movement Control Order, which would allow almost all economic and social activities to resume starting today, under certain conditions and adherence to the SOP.
In George Town, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said it would not proceed with the CMCO yet.
Instead, he said, the state would implement its own Penang Gradual Recovery Strategy (PGRS), which aims to reopen industries in stages from May 8 to 13.
The MCO, Chow said, would be in place until then.
PGRS, he said, had been divided into three phases — Phase One (Preparation Phase) between May 4 and 7, Phase Two (Familiarisation Phase) between May 8 to 12 where only certain sectors and offices would be allowed to operate, and Phase Three (Reopening Phase) from May 13 onwards where the remaining listed sectors and companies would allowed to resume their activities.
In Kota Kinabalu, the Sabah government said it would not allow businesses to resume operations just yet.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said it would proceed with the MCO until May 12 to continue efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.
He urged Sabahans to comply with the MCO, which was implemented on March 18.
Sabah’s move echoed that of Sarawak, whose deputy chief minister, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said on Saturday that it would not implement the CMCO.
Sarawak, he said, would instead study the implications of reopening its economic activities.
In Seremban, Negri Sembilan State Secretary Datuk Dr Razali Ab Malik said while the state government agreed in principle to loosen the MCO regulations, strict measures were needed as there were Covid-19 cases in the state.
As such, he said, only selected business sectors would be allowed to operate during the CMCO period.
“Social and sporting activities will not be allowed during the CMCO period.
“Restaurants and eateries cannot offer dine-in services. They can, however, provide takeaways, deliveries and drive-through services.
“We have taken these measures as the state government believes it has yet to win the fight against Covid-19.”
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said all states were allowed to adjust the SOP based on their needs during the CMCO period.
However, he said, they must adhere to the guidelines mapped out by the federal government.
“For example, in allowing restaurants to operate until 10pm, some may feel that they wish to close earlier, and that there is no need to have dine-in facilities — that’s fine.”