KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — The government will have to first consider the advice and recommendations from the Health Ministry before deciding to lift or extend the movement control order (MCO), explained Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
When asked if the ongoing conditional MCO would be extended come its expiration on May 12, Sabri offered little insight into the government’s position of whether an extension was required.
“Because Act 342 is under the purview of the Health Ministry, the Minister of Health needs to provide advice to the government whether it (MCO) needs to be extended or not.
“So as usual, maybe two or three days before the end of the current MCO phase we are in, the government will announce, so let’s wait for the official announcement because even I do not know for certain,” he said.
Ismail made the comments when asked if an extension was being considered by the government during his daily non-health Covid-19 press conference broadcasted across national television channels.
Malaysia today enters its fifth day of the conditional MCO that allows most economic sectors to resume operations while subjected to strict social distancing and sanitary regulations.
The resumption of business operations comes after the 46-day MCO that was enforced from March 18 to May 3 that restricted all non-essential services from operating to contain infections brought upon by the Covid-19 pandemic.
