Four states remain in MCO until March 4

KUALA LUMPUR, 13 Nov -- Menteri Kanan (Kluster Keselamatan) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob ketika sidang media mengenai perkembangan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) di Wisma Pertahanan Kementerian Pertahanan (MINDEF) hari ini. --fotoBERNAMA (2020) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 -- Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob during a press conference regarding the updates and progress of the Movement Control Order (MCO) at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) today. --fotoBERNAMA (2020) COPYRIGHTS RESERVED

by SHAHEERA AZNAM SHAH / pic by BERNAMA

FOUR states in Peninsular Malaysia — Kuala Lumpur (KL), Selangor, Johor and Penang — will continue under the Movement Control Order (MCO) until March 4, while the rest will return to the Conditional MCO (CMCO), except for Perlis.

The northern state will return to Recovery MCO as it has seen improvements in terms of declining Covid-19 cases.

“The Health Ministry has informed us that most states have started to record lower cases after two weeks of MCO implementation. The number of imported cases through interstate travel have also declined since Feb 3.

“However, cases in KL, Selangor, Johor and Penang are still high and after a risk assessment, we have decided to extend the MCO for the four states for another two weeks,” Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (picture) said in a press conference yesterday.

For Sarawak, Ismail Sabri said the state will follow the directive issued by its state government earlier, where CMCO will be enforced from Feb 15 to March 1.

He said the travel limitation of 10km for residents in MCO-imposed states will be lifted with similar passenger capacity allowed per car.

“Residents in all states, including in the MCO-imposed states, are allowed to travel more than the 10km radius as more business operations have been allowed to operate. It is only relevant to let people travel.”

However, Ismail Sabri added that interdistrict and interstate travel are still imposed for all states.

“For the rest of the standard operating procedures (SOPs), what is allowed and not allowed remain the same, such as weddings and engagement ceremonies are allowed to be held with attendees not more than 50% of the venues’ capacity.

“Economic sectors are also allowed to operate from 6am until 12 midnight. Dining in at restaurants are also allowed with 1m physical distancing.”

Ismail Sabri said Enhanced MCO (EMCO) at several areas in Pahang, Perak and Terengganu will be lifted due to the declining trend in new cases as people movement within the areas have been under control.

These include the Bentong Prison Complex and its staff quarters in Pahang; Felda Lasah and Kampung Besi Api in Perak; and Felda Tersat Kuala Berang and Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s Kuala Berang construction site quarters in Terengganu.

Ismail Sabri said EMCO will be imposed on Kampung Sungai Maong in Sarawak for two weeks between Feb 17 and March 2 as 13 positive cases had been reported in the area between Feb 12 and Feb 15.

On Monday, 596 individuals were arrested for flouting SOPs. Of the total, 532 were compounded and 64 remanded.

As of Feb 15, Ismail Sabri said the police and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission have opened 283 investigations on fake news relating to Covid-19.

He added that 109 cases are still being investigated and 51 cases have been brought to court.

Read our previous report here