Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state was prepared to face legal action from the federal government for defying the implementation of the conditional movement control order.
The conditional MCO was announced by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on May 1 as an interim measure to open up the business sector to help the country's economy recover.
"Penang and I, as chief minister, are prepared to face legal action for protecting the 1.1 million people in Penang, " said Chow (above), during a Facebook Live press conference in George Town today.
"Senior Minister (Mohamad Azmin Ali) must show proof that Penang has ignored the conditional MCO before taking such legal action," Chow added.
"Azmin must correct the facts of what happened during a special national security meeting in Putrajaya, chaired by Muhyiddin, on April 28, on the decision to open the economy and the implementation of the conditional MCO was agreed to by those who attended the meeting," Chow said.
Chow was referring to a warning by Azmin that state governments face possible legal action taken by industry players if they refused to reopen their economies under the conditional MCO as announced by the federal government.
Yesterday, Azmin said the move was based on a May 3 federal gazette that gazetted the conditional MCO under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.
One of the six states to defy the conditional MCO, Penang said it will resume business on May 8 but will maintain other MCO restrictions such as the barring of recreational activities until May 12.
On April 28, the national security council meeting held in Putrajaya was attended by menteri besar and chief ministers from all states where they were briefed on the plan to restart the economy while implementing the conditional MCO.
According to Chow, the decision was for states to study the proposal for a week and to give their feedback before deciding to restart the economy and relax the MCO.
"However, this did not happen and the prime minister went on to announce the conditional MCO on May 1," Chow said.
Chow said no state government had rejected the conditional MCO but they wanted to strategise on its implementation which may vary according to different states.
"It is unprecedented that so many states, whether run by PN or Pakatan Harapan, to take a different approach to what Azmin had expected," Chow said.
"I would like to ask Azmin, what did he expect when he was lazy to discuss with states on the implementation of the conditional MCO?" Chow asked. - Mkini
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