KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 — Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has clarified that the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market in Selayang, located near the areas of the newly enforced enhanced movement control order (EMCO), was ordered to close for four days to allow sanitisation work to be conducted.
He said the decision to temporarily shutter the market was due to the high number of residents in areas under EMCO who also worked in the wholesale market.
“Our intention is not (to close) for 14 days like the EMCO we enforced at the surrounding areas.
“We are only closing for four days, which is until Thursday so that sanitisation operations can be carried out at the wholesale market.
“This is so that when we reopen the market, that area would have already been sanitised and can be deemed safe, health-wise,” he said.
Malay Mail earlier today reported the wholesale market being closed, despite the government previously saying the market would operate as usual despite its close proximity to the areas under EMCO.
The traders and their associations were reportedly only informed of the four-day closure by authorities yesterday evening, which they said did not leave them sufficient time to vacate the area.
Market traders were observed clearing out of the Selayang wholesale market as early as 6am today after they were informed of the sudden closure.
Yesterday, Ismail had said the government decided to impose an EMCO in the vicinity of the Selayang wholesale market on the advice of the Health Ministry, with the two-week order in effect until May 3.
The areas under the EMCO are divided into eight parcels: Parcel A (Jalan 6/3A, Pusat Bandar Utara), Parcel B (Jalan 6/3A and 9/3A, Pusat Bandar Utara), Parcel C (Jalan 2/3A, Pusat Bandar Utara), Parcel D (Jalan 2/3A, Pusat Bandar Utara), Parcel E1 (Taman Sri Murni Fasa 2, Jalan 1/2D), Parcel E2 (Taman Sri Murni Fasa 1, Jalan 1/2D), Parcel E3 (Taman Sri Murni Fasa 3, Jalan 1/2B) and Parcel F (Taman Batu View and Taman Batu Hampar).
When asked today about what steps traders should take when the market reopens on Thursday, Ismail said such guidelines would be introduced by the Health Ministry.
“As for the traders and businesses, maybe we will ask MOH to take the necessary action to make sure they (traders) are also free of the Covid-19 infection,” he added.
The government previously imposed five EMCOs, with the first in Simpang Renggam in Johor, the second in Sungai Lui in Selangor, and the rest in Kuala Lumpur.
Four of the EMCOs were extended to April 28, while the EMCO was lifted for all seven affected villages in Sungai Lui except for a tahfiz school and a house which will be on an extended EMCO until April 28.
The EMCOs, which involve the closure of all entry and exit points to an area, have so far resulted in more Covid-19 cases being detected in the affected locations.