End the confusion, standardise SOPs nationwide, Putrajaya told

 

Dr Lee Boon Chye says there are different SOPs for Ramadan bazaars.

PETALING JAYA: A former deputy minister has called for standardised SOPs nationwide in anticipation of more lockdowns at scales smaller than the movement control order (MCO).

Dr Lee Boon Chye, who was deputy health minister when Pakatan Harapan was in power, said the different mobility restrictions were confusing the public.

“We cannot have one state allowing restaurants to operate till midnight and another allowing it till 10pm,” he said. “By now, when the government declares an MCO or a CMCO (conditional MCO), people should immediately know the dos and don’ts.”

The other two lockdown types are enhanced MCO (EMCO) and recovery MCO (RMCO).

Lee said the government was constantly changing SOPs despite more than a year of lockdowns.

“By right, it should be simple and easy. Once the level of lockdown is announced, the standard SOPs should come into force.”

He also spoke of the lack of standardisation with regard to Ramadan bazaars.

Yesterday, federal territories minister Annuar Musa said Ramadan bazaars in Kuala Lumpur would be allowed to continue operating under the MCO.

However, on Wednesday, Selangor, which is also under MCO, imposed a ban on bazaars.

Lee also asked the education ministry to come up with a list of clear SOPs for schools.

Dr Mathen Nair.

Another activist, Dr Mathen Nair, said SOPs should be under the federal government and not the states.

“It is a national problem and they should be standardised,” he told FMT.

He said Selangor had a good task force to manage Covid-19 cases. “But what about Perlis and Kelantan? Do they have effective committees for Covid?”

He also urged the government to announce SOPs for detention centres, prisons and construction sites, where many Covid-19 cases have been reported.

“There are so many active cases in immigration facilities and prisons. But we are still in the dark over the SOPs,” he said. - FMT