KUALA LUMPUR:All businesses permitted to operate during the Movement Control Order (MCO) can stay open until 10 pm from tomorrow, said Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob.

He said that among them are sundry shops, convenience stores, pharmacies, pet shops, laundrettes and optical shops.

“Previously, these businesses were allowed to operate until 8 pm only. The National Security Council (MKN) met and agreed to extend the operating hours of restaurants and other shops to 10 pm following a risk evaluation carried out by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

“We know there has been a lot of confusion, which has made it difficult in terms of enforcement due to the different operating hours, and applications from the affected business sectors to extend the duration of their business operations,” he said at the media conference on MCO development here today.

Apart from that, Ismail Sabri said the forestry and timber sectors and all operations involving logging will operate as usual from tomorrow.

In the meantime, he said the government was also drafting an Emergency Ordinance to raise the amount of compound on individuals and companies found flouting the standard operating procedure (SOP) during the MCO.

He urged the public to be more disciplined in adhering to stipulated instructions and not wait until the authorities took action.

On the violation of the SOP, Ismail Sabri said police detained 494 individuals yesterday, with 464 of them being issued with compound notices, 29 remanded and one released on police bail.

-- BERNAMA