Operating hours reduced in S’gor
Markets allowed to open from 6am-2pm, essential shops 6am-10pm
PETALING JAYA: Six districts in Selangor will be placed under a two-week movement control order from May 6 to May 17, says Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
They are Hulu Langat, Petaling, Gombak, Klang, Kuala Langat and Sepang.
In his daily MCO update, the Defence Minister said the three other districts in Selangor – Kuala Selangor, Sabak Bernam and Hulu Selangor – would remain under conditional MCO.
He said the decision was made due to a surge in Covid-19 cases in the state since April 20 to date.
For the past few weeks, Selangor has been the state with the most cases in the country, at times crossing the 1,000 mark.
Ismail Sabri said no inter-district and interstate travel would be allowed in the six Selangor districts under MCO unless for emergency purposes.
“Food premises such as restaurants, food trucks, hawkers and kiosks are allowed to operate from 6am to midnight,” he said.
In a response to Sin Chew Daily, Ismail Sabri said dine-in was not allowed.
Meanwhile, sundry shops and convenience stores as well as pharmacies are allowed to operate from 6am to 10pm.
“Petrol stations will be open from 6am to 10pm except for those on the highway which can operate for 24 hours,” said Ismail Sabri.
“Hospitals, clinics and medical labs will operate as usual.
“Daily markets, farmer markets, wet markets and weekend markets will be allowed to operate between 6am and 2pm,” he added.
Ramadan bazaars are still allowed to operate under strict SOP.
“The decision to continue or close the bazaars will be left to the state through the local authorities,” said Ismail Sabri.
He said the government would decide whether civil servants would work from home or otherwise.
“For the private sector, the International Trade and Industry Ministry will make the decision.
“We have to wait for the announcements,” he said.
He also said tourism could continue in conditional MCO areas as long as it did not involve crossing district borders.
Ismail Sabri said that as higher educational institution students were supposed to be returning home beginning Friday, a day after the MCO was imposed in the six Selangor districts, parents would be given exemption to pick up their children.
“The government will allow parents who are planning to cross borders to pick up their children from the higher educational institutions in MCO areas,” he said.
(The Higher Education Ministry announced earlier that all tertiary students would be allowed to cross state lines between May 7 and 12 under strict SOP to go home for Raya break except in Sarawak.)
Ismail Sabri also said the power to arrest those who crossed districts rested with the police manning roadblocks.
“Those planning to cross states for emergencies with the permission of the police are allowed to do so.
“However, I am made to understand that the police will issue permits based on the validity of the reasons given.
“Applications to cross states tend to go into the thousands on weekends and police will have to consider properly when processing them,” he said.