CMCO in Malaysia extended to Dec 6 with exception for Perlis, Pahang, Kelantan and Sarawak

The conditional movement control order (CMCO) was announced on Monday, the 12th of October 2020 to control the spread of Covid-19. It was scheduled to take place between October 12 to 27.

As our cases continue to rise in a never-before-seen 4 digit numbers, the powers that be have decided to extend the CMCO to December 6 for the entire country except for the following four states – Perlis, Pahang, Kelantan and Sarawak.

Here’s are some of the dos and don’ts during this period. These guidelines are subject to change depending on government’s discretion.

1. Travel outside only when necessary. You’ll have to cancel any local holidays you have planned, as inter-state and inter-district travelling will not be allowed. However, should you need to travel within districts for work purposes, you will need to have an official letter from your employer.
2. Only two people are allowed out. Similar to the previous CMCO periods, only two people from every household are allowed to head out at a time to shop for essentials, such as groceries. During this time, schools, higher learning institutions, kindergartens, nurseries, and tahfiz centres are required to close. We are not allowed to head to public and recreational parks, mosques, and other houses of worship. It also goes without saying that night clubs and entertainment centres are still to remain closed.
3. Two people in a car. Only two people from one household can head out to buy essentials in one car. If more than one person in a household needs to leave the house for business purposes, they may request a special letter from the Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM). E-hailing rides and taxis are only allowed to carry two passengers in each car. Public transportation operates as usual.
4. Postpone your plans. Any recreational, social, cultural, and wedding events will have to be cancelled or postponed during these two weeks. However, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob mentioned that all economic activities in Selangor, KL, and Putrajaya should proceed as usual.
5. Dining out. Restaurants and cafes are allowed for dine-in, but only two people can be seated at a table. If the table is large enough, up to four or five people in a group can be seated at the table. Other F&B operations including food courts, food trucks, hawker stalls, kiosks, and convenience stores are now allowed to operate from 6am to 10pm.
6. Crossing districts. Similar to the previous CMCO, we are not allowed inter-state travels in these two weeks. However, CMCO 2.0 brings with it another set of rules: no inter-district travel. What does this mean? The current CMCO comprises three locations: Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Putrajaya. Kuala Lumpur is its own district, so residents are allowed to travel freely within the Kuala Lumpur area, whether from TTDI to Cheras or Bangsar to Bukit Bintang without police permission. However, Selangor is a little trickier. It’s divided into nine administrative districts: Petaling, Klang, Gombak, Hulu Langat, Sepang, Kuala Langat, Kuala Selangor, Hulu Selangor, and Sabak Bernam. Residents will not be able to travel to and from these areas.
7. Going to work. Inter-district and inter-state travels are possible if you have an official letter from your employer stating that you require to travel for work purposes.
8. Business operating hours. Morning markets and flea markets are open from 6am to 2pm, while night markets can operate from 4pm to 10pm with a strict SOP in place. Pharmacies are open from 8am to 11pm while private clinics, public clinics, and hospitals can remain open for 24 hours.Petrol stations can only operate from 6am to 10pm, but petrol stations on highways can remain open for 24 hours.

(Image credit: Catherine Cordasco for United Nations Global Call Out To Creatives – help stop the spread of COVID-19/Unsplash)

This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia KL.