Nationwide MCO from May 12, but economic sectors, childcare centres allowed open

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia will be placed under a nationwide movement control order (MCO) from May 12 until June 7, said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Muhyiddin in a statement today said restrictions on interstate and inter-district travel, as well as prohibitions on education, social and sports activities, will begin today and end on June 6, referring to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) announced by Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on May 8.

New restrictions for the nationwide MCO will be enforced from May 12 to June 7.

Throughout the lockdown, all economic sectors will remain open. The National Security Council (NSC) will announce other SOPs in detail later.

However, the government has decided against allowing home visits on the first day of Hari Raya.

On May 4, Ismail Sabri had announced that Hari Raya visits were allowed only on the first day of Syawal, with a maximum of 15 guests at any one time and subject to the size of the home.

This announcement comes after the exodus of university students from their respective campuses, heading home for the Hari Raya holidays.

Previously, The Vibes had reported that health experts urged the government to jam the brakes on the exodus.

Meanwhile, the country is still under a state of emergency until August 1.

The prime minister said following the NSC meeting today, it has been decided that:

1. No interstate and inter-district travel, except for work, emergency and health reasons, economic activities, vaccination appointments and long-distance couples;

2. Ban on all social gatherings, including kenduri, engagements, weddings, doa selamat, tahlil, dinners, birthdays, and official government and private sector events;

3. Ban on all face-to-face seminars, conferences and meetings;

4. Akad nikah ceremonies are allowed with limited attendance and SOPs set by state religious authorities for Muslims and the National Registration Department for non-Muslims;

5. Ban on all sports and recreational activities, except individual activities in open areas, such as jogging, cycling, and exercising, with physical distancing;

6. Closure of all education institutions, except students sitting international examinations;

7. Childcare centres, nurseries and kindergartens are allowed to operate according to SOPs to ease working parents and guardians;

8. Only three individuals are allowed in each private or e-hailing vehicle and taxi, including one driver;

9. The number of people allowed in commercial vehicles and supply chain activities depends on the licence;

10. People in public transport must practise physical distancing and adhere to existing SOPs;

11. No dine-in at restaurants and eateries. However, drive-throughs and takeaways are allowed;

12. Employers must allow staff to work from home, with no more than 30% of management staff allowed on the premises at all times. Policies for civil servants will be based on orders issued by the chief secretary to the government;

13. Ban on all house-to-house and graveyard visits during Hari Raya .

14. Hari Raya prayers in surau and mosques are allowed, with a congregation size not exceeding 50 people for premises that can accommodate more than 1,000 worshippers, and 20 people for premises that can accommodate fewer than 1,000. This limit applies to obligatory daily prayers and Friday prayers;

15. Activities in non-Muslim houses of worship will be limited based on the National Unity Ministry's SOPs; and,

16. Special restrictions already in place in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan will remain.

Just two days ago, Ismail Sabri assured Malaysians that the government has no plan to implement a nationwide MCO, instead, it will proceed with targeted movement restrictions.

He said the targeted MCO could also be enforced after the introduction of the Hotspot Identification for Dynamic Engagement system, which will indicate specific areas with large cases of Covid-19 outbreaks (hotspots).

“If there is a hotspot area, we will enforce an MCO according to the village, sub-district or district that has a large number of (Covid-19) cases, with the enhanced MCO being the smallest scale (of the MCO) that will be implemented, but it will still be done in a targeted manner.

“However, various possibilities can occur as according to data from the Health Ministry, if there is no intervention from the government, cases can reach up to more than 5,000 after the (Hari Raya) celebration and can rise to 10,000 cases in July and August.” – The Vibes, May 10, 2021