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These SOPs include details on cross-state and cross-district travels, hours of operation for essential businesses, activities that are prohibited during the two-week period from 13 January to 26 January 2021.
Malaysia's National Security Council has released a series of SOPs that will apply during the reinstated Movement Control Orders (MCOs, or PKPs), including the Conditional MCO (CMCO, or PKPB) and Recovery MCO (RMCO, or PKPP), which take effect today (13 January).
These SOPs include details on cross-state and cross-district travels, hours of operation for essential businesses, activities that are prohibited during the two-week period, and more, shared below.
Extract 1: SOPs for states under MCO
Applicable to: Penang, Selangor, Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Labuan), Melaka, Johor and Sabah
The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) is responsible for exercising control over local areas of infection with the help of the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), Civil Defence Force (APM) and the People's Volunteer Corps (RELA).
The entry and exit routes of the PKP area have been closed and entry will be controlled by the PDRM. All residents in the PKP area are not allowed to leave their homes/residences.
- Only two household representatives are allowed to go out only to obtain food supplies, medicine, dietary supplements and basic necessities within a radius not exceeding 10 kilometers from his residence, or to the place closest to his residence if the supply of such necessities is not within a radius of 10 kilometers from his residence.
- A maximum of three persons including patients are allowed to go out to seek health or medical care services within a radius not exceeding 10 kilometers from their residence, or to the place closest to their residence if the health or medical services are not within a radius of 10 kilometers from their residence.
- Students and candidates who are sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Examination, Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM), Sijil Vokasional Malaysia (SVM), Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM), Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM), Diploma Vocational Malaysia (DVM), Special School Admission Assessment for Form 1 and Form 4 and equivalent international examinations are allowed to attend schools across PKP or PKPB or PKPP areas.
This will be according to the school calendar set by the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) with confirmation documents from MOE. Students can be accompanied by a guardian while in commute.
All activities other than those listed in the list of essential services (see below) are not allowed.
- Restaurants, shops / food stalls, food trucks, roadside hawkers, circulating hawkers, food court / hawker center, roadside food stalls / kiosks, grocery stores and convenience stores are allowed to operate between 6am to 8pm daily.
- Food supply or sale activities are only allowed by take-home, drive or delivery, only from 6am to 8pm.
- Hospitals, clinics and medical laboratories can operate for up to 24 hours or under an operating license. Pharmacies can operate from 6am to 8pm.
- Shops selling daily necessities can operate from 6am to 8pm.
- Petrol stations can operate from 6am to 10pm, except petrol stations on the highway which can operate for up to 24 hours.
- Daily markets and farmers' markets can operate from 7am to 2pm
- Wholesale markets can operate from 12am to 6am and 11am to 4pm.
- Pet food clinics and shops are allowed to operate from 6am to 8pm.
- Laundry services, except self-service laundry, are allowed from 6am to 8pm.
All sectors in the list of essential services registered with the relevant Ministries / Agencies can operate during the PKP period. Employee movement is subject to registration / an operating approval letter and employee pass / employer confirmation letter.
Movement for official Government business must be accompanied by an employer confirmation document. The attendance capacity of employees for such services should be limited to employees who need to be physically present to the workplace for the purpose of performing duties. Other categories of employees in the service should be able to work from home. (Employers are responsible for classifying categories to reduce the number of people in the workplace to the necessary rate).
Face-to-face meetings involving Government and private agencies with external parties must be done through video conferencing.
List of essential activities and services allowed in MCO/PKP areas
Only 30% attendance is allowed, from the management team. The number of employees is determined by the employer, by ensuring physical distancing practices and public health protocols can be implemented in the workplace).
- Manufacturing
- Aerospace including MRO;
- Food, beverages and their chains;
- Packaging and printing;
- Household products, personal care items (FMCG - soap, personal cleansers etc.) and detergents including its chains;
- Health and medical care including dietary supplements;
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) and fire safety equipment;
- Components for medical devices;
- Electrical and electronics;
- Oil and gas
- Petrochemicals and petrochemical products;
- Chemical products;
- Machines and equipment;
- Ceramics (ceramics as a mold for making gloves);
- Iron and steel;
- Textiles involving PPE production only;
- Furniture sector; and
- Production, distillation, storage, supply and distribution of fuels and lubricants.
- Construction
- Critical maintenance and repair work;
- Major public infrastructure construction works;
- Construction work of buildings that provide complete accommodation of workers on construction sites or workers housed in the Central Workers Quarters (CLQ).
- Services
- Automotive (Repair and maintenance only);
- Financial services and its chains:
- Financial institutions (Banking, insurance, takaful and other entities licensed, approved or registered by Bank Negara Malaysia); and
- Capital market entities licensed, registered or regulated by the Securities Commission Malaysia.
- Municipal and local government services:
- Mortgage / community credit (licensed moneylender company);
- Solid waste / sewerage management;
- Public cleaning; and
- Premises cleaning and sanitation.
- Automotive (Repair and maintenance only);
- Telecommunication and digital infrastructure including ICT services and global business services (GBS).
- E-Commerce and its chains include e-marketplace services, digital payments and local e-commerce internet centers.
- Hotels and accommodation
- Agriculture, fisheries and livestock sector including veterinary services:
- Farm management / swiftlet nest / horse / animal processing plant / slaughterhouse / livestock / livestock feed factory / vaccine supplier / livestock management / pet shop (livestock transfer operation is at night);
- Disease control and regulation of livestock production, livestock inputs and products related to the livestock industry (including exports and imports); and
- Health management, disease diagnosis and animal treatment.
- Utilities (water and energy)
- Professional services (including accountants / lawyers / auditors / engineers / architects), scientific (including R&D) and technical (including maintenance)
- Security services
- Security and defence
- Transport by land, water and air;
- Port and airport services and operations, including cargo loading and unloading, shipping, storage or commodity shipping.
- Distribution and trade
- Warehousing and logistics;
- Food / beverage services / Sales / Delivery; and
- Retail / distribution / wholesale.
- Plantations and commodities
- Agriculture, fisheries and livestock and its chains; and
- Plantations and commodities and their chains.
- Others
- Any service, work, industry and business as determined by the Minister of Health after consultation with the authority regulating the service, work, industry and business.
List of activities not allowed in MCO/PKP areas
- Work meetings involving external parties, these should take place via video conferencing.
- All seminars / workshops / courses / training / conferences / talks / exhibitions and other MICE-related activities.
- Official and informal ceremonies of Government and private, social councils such as feasts, weddings and engagements, receptions, aqiqah ceremonies, prayers for peace, tahlil, birthday celebrations, reunions, retreats and other social gatherings.
- Participation of government and private officials for official and informal councils from PKP, PKPB and PKPD areas,
- All sports and leisure activities except jogging and cycling activities, which have been relaxed as stated in this SOP.
- Tournaments / competitions and organisational activities.
- Sports and recreational activities with large-scale involvement and lesser chance of physical distancing.
- Sports events and competitions involving participants from abroad.
- Outbound / inbound tourism activities in PKP areas and in PKPD areas.
- Overseas tourism activities by citizens and domestic tourism activities involving foreign tourists entering Malaysia, except foreign tourists from countries specified by the Minister.
- Any activity that involves crowds and makes it difficult for safe distancing and compliance with the instructions of the Director General of Health.
- Night markets and bazaars
- Clothing shop operations, laundromats, eyewear shops, barbers, salons, spas and reflexology centres
- Tuition classes, music classes, dance classes, art, study classes, language classes, and more.
- Activities at nightclubs or pubs
- Activities at theme parks, indoor playgrounds, family karaoke and cinemas
- Concert activities or live events
- Other matters decided by the Government from time to time.
Full SOPs for MCO/PKP areas here.
Extract 2: SOPs for CMCO/PKPB areas
Applicable to: Kedah, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan Terengganu, Pahang and Sarawak (Kuching, Sibu, Miri zones)
Movement within the CMCO/PKPB area is allowed, while movement across states and areas PKPD is not allowed except with the permission of PDRM. • The number of passengers in a private vehicle is according to the capacity of the vehicle.
The movement of private vehicles, Government departments or private companies for the purpose of commuting to and from work or conducting official Government business depends on the seating capacity of the vehicle.
Activities and services at all airports and ports are allowed, as well as public transport services such as non-stop buses, express buses, LRT / MRT / ERL / Monorails, ferries, airplanes, taxis / e-hailing and other public transport (operating hours as per license) based on vehicle capacity. Food delivery services are allowed from 6am to 12am.
Movement in / out of CMCO/PKPB areas is not allowed. Only employees who have a valid employee pass OR a letter of authorisation from the employer are allowed to commute for the purpose of working and performing duties.
Additionally, the number of employees at the workplace should be limited by the employer to the amount that must be physically present only to perform tasks needed in the workplace. Meanwhile, other employees are to work from home.
As for meetings, face-to-face meetings for official business / work held in offices, hotels and other institutions are allowed by complying with physical distancing measures. Face masks are mandatory during these meetings, and only 50% of the meeting room capacity should be filled. Meetings are encouraged to be carried out via video conferencing.
Full SOPs for CMCO/PKPB areas here.
For SOPs in Sarawak, refer to this.
Extract 3: SOPs for RMCO/PKPP areas
Applicable: Nationwide, except in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, and areas placed under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO, or PKPB) or Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO, or PKPD).
Business events related to meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions are allowed to operate in compliance with physical distancing measures, mandatory use of face masks and based on relevant SOPs. Business travellers seeking admission for business / events, from countries authorised by the Government, must adopt the existing MIDA One-Stop Center (OSC) platform in compliance with the entry requirements set by the Government.
Economic and industrial sector-related activities are allowed to be carried out in the RMCO/PKPP areas, in compliance with the relevant SOPs. All vehicles related to industry, business and manufacturing are allowed to operate. Fisheries, plantation, agriculture, livestock and everything related to the food chain are also allowed to operate.
Additionally, clinics, Government and private hospitals as well as medical laboratories are allowed to operate 24 hours or under an operating license; while pharmacies and drug stores can operate in accordance with the license terms.
Apart from the above, sports and recreational activities are allowed in compliance with the Sports & Recreation SOPs. Local tournaments and competitions are allowed, subject to the approval of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and once again in compliance with the Sports and Recreation SOP.
- Local audience capacity should be kept at 10% or 4,000 spectators / supporters from the full capacity of seating at the venue, or any lower.
- Permission for admission of foreign participants / officers to Malaysia is subject to the Malaysian Immigration Department's approval, with a letter of support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
- Participants / officers for team sports and combat sports activities from PKPB and PKPD areas must undergo the RTK Antigen test and be negatively confirmed before being allowed to participate in local tournaments / competitions.
Full set of SOPs for RMCO/PKPP areas here.
Photo / 123RF
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