KUALA LUMPUR — The government chose to allow most businesses to resume operations on May 4 in order to preserve the country’s economy and prevent companies from collapsing due to measures to contain Covid-19, Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said today.
The senior minister in charge of the international trade and industry portfolio argued that the decision was made only after weighing the country’s progress in containing the pandemic against the World Health Organisation’s criteria.
“Considering the effectiveness of the war against Covid-19, the time has come to fully focus on restarting and driving economic growth to ensure the prosperity of the public and the sustainability of the economy.
“If the government did not take this step, the country’s revenue stream will erode, economic growth will be stunted, while business and individual incomes will also be jeopardised,” he said in a statement.
Azmin added that reopening the economy will allow businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises, to start generating income again and protect jobs.
The senior minister also stressed that all businesses reopening on Monday must comply with the Health Ministry’s guidelines for their respective industries, and failure to do so will be treated as a punishable offence.
All enforcement agencies have also been directed to ensure full compliance with the guidelines at both state and federal levels, he said.
He also reminded Malaysians that authorities would not hesitate to introduce enhanced movement controls in the event Covid-19 cases increase again.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that all business sectors save for those that rely on crowds or close contact will be allowed to reopen on Monday.
However, the timing of the announcement — the May Day holiday before a weekend — has left businesses scrambling to meet the requirements set for their respective industries, such as the full sanitisation of their premises and procurement of temperature scanners and masks, among others.
Groups such as the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce have expressed caution over the decision, saying that any lapse of preventive measures could cause a new spread of Covid-19 in Malaysia.
Today, the Sarawak state government also said it will not yet adopt Putrajaya’s decision to reopen the economy on Monday and will decide for itself when it will be safe to do so.
Malaysia recorded 105 more Covid-19 cases as of noon today, the first time that new infections have hit the three-digit range since April 16.OME 500,000 Malaysians are planning to return from their hometowns to the cities after the government eases the movement control order (MCO) said Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
According to Ismail Sabri, police are now finalising the details to allow people to travel between May 7 and 10.
“We will allow Malaysians trapped in their hometowns to return to the city. Therefore, the police will prepare a travel schedule for their journey,” he said during his daily Covid-19 press briefing in Putrajaya today.
He said the police will issue a statement with details soon.
“For now, I can say they can start travelling on May 7, ending on May 10,” he said.
Ismail said civil servants need not rush home to start work on Monday, as they will be allowed to start travelling after the police announce the details.
“For example, if their schedule falls on Friday, they can wait until Friday and only resume work next Monday,” he said.
He hoped the private sector will also allow some discretion for people in a similar situation. MALAY MAIL
If virus cases spike as economy opens, govt will impose more EMCOs
THE Health Ministry will not hesitate to place areas, even a whole state, that record new Covid-19 infections, under an enhanced movement control order (EMCO) once new conditions to reopen the economy take effect on Monday.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said workplaces and restaurants that do not follow health standard operating procedures (SOP) aimed at curbing Covid-19 transmissions will face enforcement action or even be ordered to closed.
“And, if there are new infections, we won’t hesitate to impose an EMCO on the locality. Not just the locality, but if cases spread, we will enforce EMCO on a whole village if need be, or a district or even a whole state,” he told the daily press briefing on Covid-19 today.
He was asked if the government had moved too quickly in allowing most economic sectors to resume operations next week, ahead of the MCO’s expiry on May 12.
Noor Hisham said there are SOPs for all sectors to follow, including restaurants, which can allow dine-in customers.
These SOPs include social distancing while eating and at the payment counter, use of masks and frequent hand-washing by workers and regular disinfection.
All these apply whether the workplace is a restaurant or office, or on transport services.
As for the reopening of public parks, such as Taman Titiwangsa, which is in a Covid-19 red zone in Kuala Lumpur, Noor Hisham said those visiting the park have to observe the same SOPs.
“The intention of the MCO was never to end transmission of the virus (completely).
“The war with Covid-19 is still on but on a different battlefield with a different strategy, whereby the community must empower themselves.
“People must be socially disciplined and be socially responsible. If the people cannot deliver, then our fight against Covid-19 will be difficult.”
He likened life after the MCO to living with dengue fever, which is endemic in Malaysia.
“Like dengue, Covid-19 will be part of our community. We will just have to comply with the SOP to control more transmissions.”
Noor Hisham said “the safest place in the world” was still people’s own homes and urged the public not to go out without good reason, even though the government was allowing economic sectors to reopen.
As long as the rate of infection, or R-naught, remained below 1 point, the ministry was satisfied that the spread of Covid-19 could be controlled.
The R-naught is presently at 0.7, and the ministry will monitor the figure as restrictions are lifted on the economy, he added. MALAY MAIL
Ismail Sabri says people can return to cities May 7-10
SOME 500,000 Malaysians are planning to return from their hometowns to the cities after the government eases the movement control order (MCO) said Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
According to Ismail Sabri, police are now finalising the details to allow people to travel between May 7 and 10.
“We will allow Malaysians trapped in their hometowns to return to the city. Therefore, the police will prepare a travel schedule for their journey,” he said during his daily Covid-19 press briefing in Putrajaya today.
He said the police will issue a statement with details soon.
“For now, I can say they can start travelling on May 7, ending on May 10,” he said.
Ismail said civil servants need not rush home to start work on Monday, as they will be allowed to start travelling after the police announce the details.
“For example, if their schedule falls on Friday, they can wait until Friday and only resume work next Monday,” he said.
He hoped the private sector will also allow some discretion for people in a similar situation. THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
MALAY MAIL / THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
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