KUALA LUMPUR – Putrajaya should not declare a third movement control order (MCO 3.0) in the Klang Valley without first getting the standard operating procedures right, said an MP amid rumours of its imposition next week.
Bangi’s Ong Kian Ming, in a statement today, said the National Security Council (NSC) should already have a system in place to prepare residents, with an advance warning given, before such an order is announced.
If the MCO is hurriedly announced without SOPs in place, many people may end up being fined RM10,000 for violating SOPs they don’t know about, because they haven’t been confirmed. For example, how many people can sit in a car during MCO 3.0? One, two or three?
“There is much speculation that there will be another MCO in the Klang Valley next week, perhaps as early as Monday. It would be the third time we experience the MCO in the Klang Valley, where almost 10 million people live.
“An MCO is very disruptive to the people, especially from an economic perspective. The people are already suffering from MCO 1.0 and MCO 2.0. If MCO 3.0 is announced without proper preparation, the people’s suffering will only increase.”
He urged the ministers in charge not to announce another MCO in the Klang Valley at the last minute, and without the SOPs confirmed.
The need to have another MCO shows that the emergency has failed in its objective to control the pandemic and bring down Covid-19 infections.
“It is high time that Parliament is reconvened, so that policies regarding the handling of the pandemic can be discussed openly, and the ministers in charge of various aspects of relevant policies can be questioned by the opposition, as well as backbenchers.”
On Tuesday, it was announced that Kelantan will be placed under the MCO, while Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Penang and Sarawak remain under the conditional MCO (CMCO). Sabah was placed under the CMCO for 14 days.
Kedah has several districts under the MCO.
The other states and territories – Perlis, Perak, Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Terengganu, Putrajaya and Labuan – are under the more-relaxed recovery MCO (RMCO).
The restrictions take effect from April 29 to May 17 for all states besides Sarawak, where they are in effect from April 27 to May 17.
The Hari Raya Aidilfitri holiday falls on May 13 and 14.
Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has said all existing SOPs remain, including the prohibition on interstate travel.
“Only tourism activities and travel between RMCO states are allowed through the green-travel bubble concept, which has to be done via registered tourism agents and companies.
“Inter-district travel is allowed in all states other than Sabah and Sarawak, whose respective governments have banned such travel.”
He said SOPs for Raya will be announced in due time, as the Malaysian Islamic Development Department is ironing them out with the Health Ministry and NSC. – The Vibes, May 1, 2021
