MCO: New business hours 8 am-8 pm, starting April 1 - Ismail Sabri

All business premises selling essential items including supermarkets and petrol stations are to operate from 8 am to 8 pm under the second phase of the Movement Control Order (MCO) starting April 1.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the directive is also applied to stalls and restaurants as well as food delivery service.

“We would like to encourage people to shop online and at the same time try to avoid having any contact with delivery service people,” he said in a press conference after the Special Ministerial Committee on MCO meeting here today.

Last Wednesday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced the extension of the MCO, which came into force on March 18 and was scheduled to end tomorrow (March 31), for another two weeks to April 14.

Elaborating further, Ismail Sabri who is also Defence Minister said even though the second phase of the MCO would see stricter enforcement, the situation is not the same as in Simpang Renggam, Johor and Hulu Langat, Selangor which are placed under an enhanced MCO, in which people are barred from leaving or coming to affected areas.

He asserted that the directive was unlike curfew order as alleged by some irresponsible quarters.

"I want to stress that under phase two we still allow movement of people and shops are still open. We just restrict business operating hours,” he said.

Ismail Sabri added that the movement of vehicles will also be restricted. -- BERNAMA