KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — A Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) — which permits businesses to operate — will be implemented in Malaysia’s economic and administrative centres of Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Putrajaya from October 14 to 27.
The Defence Ministry’s corporate communications unit, in response to questions from the press, also clarified today that people need to show a work pass or employment letter at police roadblocks to cross between Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Putrajaya to get to work.
Residents of Klang Valley will only be permitted to pass checkpoints in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Putrajaya for work, economic, or industrial purposes, explained a Defence Ministry corporate communications official, when asked if Klang Valley residents would be allowed to visit friends’ homes within the Klang Valley.
Dine-ins are also not permitted during the CMCO in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Putrajaya — only takeaways and drive-throughs — while Klang Valley residents are also prohibited from jogging or cycling in public areas.
The Defence Ministry further said that people from states not under CMCO, who wish to travel to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 located in Selangor, will generally only be allowed to fly for work, essential, or emergency purposes.
For other purposes, such as to visit family or for vacation out-of-state, the Defence Ministry advised flight passengers to get police permission, as such travel required passing through many roadblocks.
“After getting advice from the Ministry of Health (MOH) and considering the increase in [Covid-19] cases in Klang and Petaling, while cases have also increased in Gombak, Hulu Langat and other districts, the National Security Council’s (NSC) special meeting today agreed to implement CMCO in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya effective October 14, 12:01 at midnight to prevent the virus transmission,” Ismail Sabri told a virtual press conference today.
“The CMCO will not allow inter district-movement, except for workers who are required to show a work pass or permission letter from the employer.
“Only two people from a household are allowed to go out to buy necessities. All schools, institutions of higher learning, skills training institutes, kindergartens, nurseries, tahfiz centres, public parks and recreation centres will be closed.”
Ismail Sabri also announced that mosques and suraus, as well as other places of worship, will be closed during the CMCO in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Putrajaya.
All sports, recreational, social and cultural activities, including marriage and engagement receptions, are not allowed. Entertainment centres and nightclubs are also prohibited from operating during the CMCO in the Klang Valley.
“However, all economic, industrial and manufacturing activities in Selangor, WP Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya are allowed to operate as usual,” said Ismail Sabri.
The Defence Ministry said detailed guidelines on the CMCO in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Putrajaya will be issued by the NSC tomorrow, just one day before the lockdown comes into effect.
According to MOH’s 14-day moving chart, the Selangor districts of Petaling and Klang were red zones as of yesterday, recording 53 and 82 local Covid-19 cases respectively within the past fortnight. Other Selangor districts, except for Sabak Bernam with zero cases, were yellow, reporting fewer than 41 coronavirus cases. Selangor reported 224 local Covid-19 cases within the past 14 days.
Kuala Lumpur reported 34 local Covid-19 cases within the past fortnight as of yesterday; all districts in the capital city were yellow, recording fewer than 41 Covid-19 infections. Putrajaya merely recorded 13 local Covid-19 cases in the past fortnight.
Selangor Mentri Besar Amirudin Shari said in an immediate response that Ismail Sabri’s announcement on the Klang Valley CMCO had “shocked” the state government, pointing out that only Klang, Gombak, Hulu Langat, and a part of the Petaling district showed a worrying number of coronavirus infections.
“The state government is of the opinion that several areas that are still classified as green and yellow zones, such as Sabak Bernam and Kuala Selangor, are still under control. Therefore, the state government will send an immediate response to the NSC for re-consideration,” Amirudin said in a statement.
Besides the CMCO on the Klang Valley, Ismail Sabri also announced a CMCO on the entire state of Sabah, where movement restrictions will begin tomorrow until October 26.
The implementation of CMCO in Sabah has similar movement restrictions as the Klang Valley, but some additional measures will be implemented in the East Malaysian state that is battling soaring Covid-19 infections:
- Restaurants, eateries, and fuel stations are allowed to operate from 6 am until 6 pm only.
- E-hailing, taxi and food delivery services are allowed from 6 am until 8 pm only.
- Pharmacies and drug stores will operate from 6 am until 6 pm only
- Public clinics and hospitals will be allowed to function for 24 hours.
- Fishery, plantation, agriculture sectors are allowed to operate.
- Business and manufacturing sectors, including small and medium industries, must seek permission from the Sabah State Disaster Management Committee before operating.
Update on Oct 14: The Defence Ministry has updated SOPs on the Klang Valley CMCO on Oct 13, permitting outdoor exercise and dine-ins at restaurants, limited to two people per table. Read more here.
