Almost all social activities banned during MCO - Ismail Sabri

KUALA LUMPUR: Almost all social activities, as well as those in which physical distancing is difficult to maintain, are not allowed during the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in six states, which will be enforced from 12.01 am (Jan 13).

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this included celebrations such as weddings and engagements, receptions, birthday celebrations, ‘kenduri’ (feasts), and ‘majlis doa selamat’ (prayer ceremonies).

Apart from that, he said face-to-face meetings organised by the government, private or non-governmental organisations, and those related to the MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) industry were not allowed.

“In this MCO, we will focus more on social activities. In terms of the economy, some (businesses) are allowed, and they are quite many as well, but what is not allowed at all or only partially allowed is social activities," he said during his daily press conference here today.

The recently announced MCO which takes effect from tomorrow (Jan 13) to Jan 26, involves Penang, Selangor, the Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan), Melaka, Johor and Sabah.

Six other states - Pahang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan were placed under the Conditional MCO (CMCO) with Perlis and Sarawak under the Recovery MCO (RMCO), for the same period.

Commenting further, Ismail Sabri said sports and recreational activities were also not allowed during the MCO, but some flexibility was given for leisure activities including jogging and cycling, limited to only two people in a group.

He said any sports tournaments and competitions, tourism activities heading in or out of MCO areas, including the entry of foreign tourists into the country, were also not allowed.

Meanwhile, for economic activities, Ismail Sabri said night markets, late-night bazaars, clothing shops, eyewear shops, barbers, salons, spas and reflexology shops, as well as nightclubs, were not allowed to operate under the MCO.

According to him, similar Standard Operating Procedures involving social activities applied in CMCO areas, where all MICE activities, official and informal government and private functions, feasts and other social events were not allowed.

"Sports and recreational activities that do not involve physical contact and are carried out by no more than 10 individuals, are allowed," he said.

As for the RMCO, he said the SOP was the same as before, however, the interstate-travel ban still applied.

-- BERNAMA