Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this latest Enhanced MCO was imposed on the advice of the Health Minister.

Group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Nik Mohd Hasyudeen Yusoff said about 170 SMEs renting at 60 TH premises nationwide are expected to benefit from the rental exemption.

As such, the NGO urged the government to help provide victims with a safe haven, either in hotels or hostels, or by collaborating with the private sector.

Seremban has recorded 136 confirmed infections since the start of the second phase of the Movement Control Order on April 1 (124 cases), making it the red zone with the fourth-highest number of confirmed infections in Malaysia.

The Edge Media Publisher/CEO Datuk Ho Kay Tat said this in response to the appeal for help yesterday by the Director-General of Health Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, who said hospitals have enough PPEs to last only another two weeks while waiting for new stock that the ministry has ordered to arrive.

Unlike previous years, shopping for Chinese New Year did not boost sales in the first quarter while Hari Raya shopping is expected to be soft in the second quarter.

"For instance, there are pipe leakages and other maintenance issues that require urgent repairs. The issue here is, most contractors are not operating during the MCO. Hence, property managers face difficulties to tackle such issues."

In a statement yesterday, BMDAM said the government has allowed additional industries to operate during MCO, subject to compliance with MITI’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

Ikhmas Jaya said its board is negotiating with EPF for settlement via instalments.

The other hotels are located outside Malaysia — two in Thailand, two in Canada and one in Australia.