PUTRAJAYA: The government's decision to allow 38 types of businesses, including non-essentials, to operate during the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) is to ensure business continuity and prevent more job losses, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

He said although some businesses were non-essentials but they should be allowed to continue operating so that their employees get wages or salaries to ensure their livelihood.

"Although a furniture shop is not essential but if we don't allow it to operate it will affect the business and indirectly affect the fate of its employees, especially when we are about to celebrate Aidilfitri.

"That's why we have to look from the angle of ensuring business continuity," he told reporters after launching the Jualan Prihatin Raya Programme here today.

Nanta said the high level of compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) was also a key factor for the ministry to allow the distributive trade sector to continue operating during the MCO.

Of the 528,581 premises inspected as of Wednesday (May 5), Nanta said 98.36 per cent or 520,028 complied with the SOP, 597 premises or 0.11 per cent were warned and only 178 premises or 0.03 per cent were issued compound notices.

Yesterday, the ministry announced that the distributive trade sector, including retail, wholesale and distribution network, can operate as usual throughout the enforcement of the MCO.

The government has announced the enforcement of MCO in several districts in Selangor from May 6 to 17 while Kuala Lumpur and several districts and sub-districts in Terengganu, Johor and Perak are placed under MCO from today until May 20.

On Jualan Prihatin Raya, Nanta said the ministry was having strategic partnerships with major supplier companies to offer essential goods at very affordable prices and much lower than the market price.

Among the items are chicken, eggs, fish, sugar, cooking oil, flour, rice, vegetables and others.

"A whole chicken is sold at RM8 while cooking oil in 1-kg pack is sold at RM2," he said.

-- BERNAMA