Sabah is fifth state to have reservation over Putrajaya's reopening of economy

CORONAVIRUS | Sabah is the fifth state to have expressed reservation at Putrajaya's decision to reopen the economy on Monday as part of the relaxation of rules before the movement control order (MCO) officially expires on May 12.

Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal (photo, above), in a statement, said his state won't reopen the economy on Monday and will observe the status quo implementation until the end of the MCO.

"This position is to ensure the continued containment of the Covid-19 pandemic and that the people are not exposed to Covid-19," he said in a statement today.

He urged people to observe the partial lockdown until its end.

Sabah is one of two states to fully snub the reopening of the economy before the MCO expires.

Sarawak yesterday also announced that it will maintain the status quo until May 12.

Meanwhile, Kedah has deferred the reopening of the economy, referred to as the "conditional MCO", until its state security working committee meets on Tuesday.

“The safety and welfare of the people will not be compromised. For the time being, continue to stay at home and practise social distancing," Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir had said.

Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor will reopen some parts of the economy but will maintain other restrictions, such as recreational activities.

On Friday, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced the reopening of the country's economy after more than a month in partial lockdown.

The MCO began on March 18.

The relaxation will also see people being allowed to conduct recreational activities and eateries may accept dine-in customers but with social distancing measures.

Some businesses have also decided to delay opening their doors to customers despite Putrajaya's announcement.

Yesterday, fast-food chain McDonald's said it won't open its doors for dine-in customers yet but will still accept delivery and takeaway orders.

"We can’t welcome you back to dine-in yet as the safety of Malaysians is still our main priority.

"You can still enjoy your favourite McD meals through our convenient McDelivery, drive-thru and take-away, 8am to 10pm daily from May 4 onwards," it said in a Facebook post.

As of yesterday, Malaysia recorded 6,176 Covid-19 cases with 103 deaths.

However, 4,326 people have recovered and 1,747 are still in treatment. - Mkini