All essential businesses till 10pm

Kuala Lumpur: All businesses permitted to operate during the Movement Control Order (MCO) can stay open until 10pm from today (Friday), said Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob (pic).

He said among them are sundry shops, convenience stores, pharmacies, pet shops, laundrettes and optical shops.

“Previously, these businesses were allowed to operate until 8pm only. The National Security Council (MKN) met and agreed to extend the operating hours of restaurants and other shops to 10pm following a risk evaluation carried out by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

“We know there has been a lot of confusion which has made it difficult in terms of enforcement due to the different operating hours, and applications from the affected business sectors to extend the duration of their business operations,” he said at a media conference on MCO development, here, Thursday.

Apart from that, Ismail Sabri said the forestry and timber sectors and all operations involving logging will operate as usual from today (Friday).

In the meantime, he said the Government was also drafting an Emergency Ordinance to raise the amount of compound on individuals and companies found flouting the standard operating procedures (SOPs) during the MCO.

“So I want to inform that since many still fail to abide by the SOPs, the Government is amending the Emergency Ordinance to further increase the compound on individuals and companies,” he said.

“Likewise when brought to court, the penalty will be increased even more. So I hope that for the people, it does not have to be [a situation] until action has to be taken by the authorities, as self-discipline is most important.”

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had, on January 11, announced a state of Emergency for the whole country, and the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 was gazetted three days later.

Under the Ordinance, among others officers in the Armed Forces are given the same powers as a police officer for the duration of the Emergency.

It also dictates direction for treatment, immunisation, isolation, observation, or surveillance, but the section of the matter appears to be wide-ranging and vague on whether immunisation is deemed mandatory.

On the violation of the SOP, Ismail Sabri said police detained 494 individuals on Wednesday, with 464 of them being issued with compound notices, 29 remanded and one released on police bail. 

He also said management boards or committees of apartments and condominiums are permitted to demand tenants to undergo Covid-19 swab tests and provide them with the result, before letting them enter their homes.

“Such a rule is allowed in the interest of safety, despite there not being any official government policy on the matter.

“There is no policy from the National Security Council (NSC) saying that whoever wants to enter into their condominium or any residents areas must do a swab test first.

“However, we also do not stop the condominium parties or those in any residential areas, in the interest of protecting the health of those in their residential areas, from issuing such an order,” he added.

During the press conference, Ismail was informed that several residential building managements have made such a rule on tenants, especially foreigners, and asked if such practice is permitted.