Extended MCO: All sectors of the economy can reopen under tightened SOP, says report

PETALING JAYA (Feb 3): Even though the movement control order for all states and federal territories except for Sarawak has been extended to Feb 18, the government has allowed “all sectors of the economy to be reopened”, The Star reported today based on a source.

However, the standard operating procedures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic will be tightened.

“All economic sectors will be opened, including retail, as we have been informed by trade associations that the current MCO has affected small businesses and SMEs more adversely than the first MCO last March.

“The ministries in charge of businesses have given their input and stated that many small businesses, which comprise a major part of the Malaysian economy, cannot continue as it is without some kind of breathing space, ” a source told the daily.

Another source told The Star that the National Security Council that “many of the conditions imposed under the current MCO would be looked at case by case”.

“For now, we are maintaining all the SOP and tightening them as most of the reports gathered said the majority of clusters were caused by a lax in the SOP.

“However, should there be a need for us to relax the SOP for the sake of an emergency, the authorities will study it and we will then decide, ”the second source revealed.

The report by the daily stated that the extended MCO “will allow all business sectors to be reopened while maintaining strictly to the SOP and, if necessary, to utilise personal protective equipment”.

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