Get police approval before loading, unloading non-essentials, says Wee

 

The activities are limited to loading and unloading cargo for export and import to and from factories, ports, and airports.

PUTRAJAYA: Exporters, importers, and warehouse operators must obtain police approval with their cargo-related documents as proof before loading or unloading non-essential goods, said transport minister Wee Ka Siong.

He said the list of workers involved in carrying out the operations must also be attached as the number of workers allowed was limited under the relevant SOPs.

“This police permission can be used as travel permission for workers at roadblocks and to be shown to enforcement personnel while performing the activities at the company’s premises,” he said in a statement today.

This follows the national security council’s decision to allow exporters and importers to perform loading and unloading of non-essential goods from 8am to 8pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from tomorrow to alleviate the situation for logistics players and to clear capacity at ports and airports.

The activities are limited to loading and unloading cargo to and from factories, ports, and airports intended for export and import. They include clearance, planning, movement of goods, forklift operations, loading and unloading.

Wee said the operations would also allow the movement of non-essential goods, which was limited to stock in hand only, for importing and exporting to neighbouring countries.

However, he said operations for essential goods that had been granted with the ministry of international trade and industry letter were not subject to this arrangement.

Wee said the decision to allow the operations was reached after considering the balance between addressing the alarming numbers of Covid-19 cases and the need to ensure adequate and uninterrupted movement of goods for conventional marketplaces and e-commerce activities.

Saying that a similar port clearing exercise was implemented during the movement control order last year, Wee gave an assurance that his ministry would continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure that the movement of goods and cargo was unhindered, and to reduce shocks to the market in general. - FMT