MCO 3.0: Additional restrictions to reduce movement - Ismail Sabri

PUTRAJAYA: Additional restrictions to tighten the standard operating procedures (SOP) of the Movement Control Order (MCO) 3.0 will be implemented through two strategies, namely work from home (WFH) directive and limiting business operating hours effective May 25 for the entire Peninsula and Labuan.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said it was aimed at reducing the movement of people and thus preventing a more serious spread of COVID-19.

He said the WFH directive covered 80 per cent of civil servants, involving about 750,000 workers and 40 per cent in the private sector involving more than six million employees.

"Public transport such as LRT and buses are also limited to only 50 per cent of passenger capacity and the frequency will also be reduced," he said at a press conference on the development of MCO here today.

He said business operating hours for shopping malls, convenience stores, stalls, laundries and petrol stations (except on highways) were limited from 8 am to 8 pm only compared to 6 am to 10 pm previously.

Ismail Sabri said the Hotspots Identification for Dynamic Engagement (HIDE) early warning system would continue to be used and locations identified as high risk would be closed immediately.

He said in line with the additional restrictions, the enforcement and number of roadblocks would be increased to monitor compliance with SOPs.

Commenting further, he said the government was aware that there was a proposal to implement full MCO such as MCO 1.0, but it was not implemented because it took into account the economic sector, especially small traders who would be affected by the move.

Asked why factories, which was one of the main locations of COVID-19 infection, were still allowed to operate, Ismail Sabri said the restriction on the operation of the premises could cause the company to go bankrupt and cause the people to lose their jobs.

"In the last MCO 1.0, an estimated 800,000 people lost their jobs because large companies were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

In the meantime, he said the private sector was required to check the status of MySejahtera on all employees and visitors before entering the premises apart from limiting the number of visitors to their premises.

All the SOPs can be referred to on the websites of the National Security Council (MKN), the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and related ministries, he said.

-- BERNAMA