Lockdown: Only 17 essential service sectors allowed to operate

Senior Minister (Security Cluster), Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, said that these sectors included food and beverages (including for animals); health and medical care (including dietary supplements, animal care and clinics as well as veterinary services); water; energy; security (defence, emergency, welfare and humanitarian assistance) as well as solid waste management, public cleaning and sewerage.

Other sectors are transportation (land, water or air); port, shipyard and airport services and operations (including loading, lighter, cargo handling and storage or packing of commodities); communications (media, telecommunications and internet, post and courier, as well as broadcasting for the purpose of information delivery).

"Others are the insurance banking, takaful and capital market sectors; community credit (mortgage and Ar-Rahnu); e-commerce and information technology; production; distillation; storage; supply and distribution of fuels and lubricants; hotels and places of accommodation (only for quarantine purposes, isolation and employment for necessary services; not for tourism purposes).

"Also allowed are critical construction, maintenance and repair; forestry services (limited to enforcement) and wildlife, as well as logistics, limited to the delivery of necessary services," he said at a press conference on the implementation of the total lockdown, here, today.

As for the manufacturing sector, Ismail Sabri said that they would not be allowed to operate during the first phase of the total lockdown period except for 12 services, with a capacity of 60 per cent of employees only.

He said it included aerospace (components and maintenance, repair and overhaul); food and beverages; packaging and printing materials related to food and health materials only; personal care items and detergents; electrical and electronics; oil and gas including petrochemicals and petrochemical products, as well as textiles for the production of personal protective equipment (PPE).

He said for the agricultural sector, fisheries, livestock, plantation and commodity sectors and their supply chains will also be allowed to operate, including shops selling fertilisers and pesticides, and oil palm fruit processing plants, as well as lorries, transporting oil palm, rubber, pepper and cocoa.

"The construction sector will also be allowed to operate. This involves critical maintenance and repair works, and construction of major public infrastructure, as well as the construction of buildings that provide complete accommodation for workers at construction sites. The permitted working capacity is optimal," he said.

Meanwhile, he said that shopping complexes would be closed during the period, except for supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies, and grocery stores that have food and beverage sections, as well as basic necessities.

Ismail Sabri said that restaurants, food stalls and outlets; laundry services (including self-service); pet care and pet food stores; eyewear and optical goods stores; hardware shops; vehicle workshops, maintenance and spare parts; e-commerce (all product categories) as well as wholesale and distribution (all essential services product categories only) will be allowed to operate.

He also said that all economic sectors related to essential services can operate from 8 am to 8 pm, except daily markets which will only be allowed to operate from 6 am to 2 pm, and controlled fresh markets from 7 am to 12 noon, while the permanent farmers' markets, MyFarm Outlets and Area Farmers Organisation complexes can operate from 6 am to 4 pm, and wholesale markets from 12.01 am to 6 am and 11 am to 4 pm.

The operating hours at petrol stations will be from 6 am to 8 pm, except for petrol stations along highways which can operate for up to 24 hours, he said.

"With the closure of the economic sector and limiting the movement of the number of workers from 15 million to only 1.5 million (a day), and with all parties complying with every directive issued by the government, I am confident the case infection curve will be flattened.

"At the same time, I also hope that the private sector will also abide by the government's directive so that we can win the war against COVID-19," he added.