The third phase of Malaysia’s Movement Control Order (MCO) has come into effect. As previously announced, this new phase of the MCO sees the resumption of operations of businesses in several industries that have been deemed “essential services”.
Under the latest gazette, signed by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba, the latest essential services involve the provision of:
- Food
- Healthcare and medical, including dietary supplements
- Water
- Energy
- Security and defence
- Solid waste and public cleansing management and sewerage
- Transportation by land, water or air
- Port, dock and airport services and undertakings, including stevedoring, lighterage, cargo handling, and pilotage, and storing or bulking of commodities
- Communication and internet
- Banking and finance
- E-commerce
- Production, refining, storage, supply and distribution of fuel and lubricants
- Hotels and accommodations
- Any service, work or industry determined as ‘essential’ by the Minister after consultation with authorities regulating the service, work or industry
- Logistics confined to the provision of essential services
The services are among 22 listed as essential for the first phase of the MCO, but which were dropped during the second phase of the order.
The new gazette was named as the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within Infected Local Areas) (No. 3) Regulations 2020, published on 14 April.
According to the gazette, a person is permitted to travel from one place to another within any infected local area only to:
- Purchase food, medicine, dietary supplements or daily necessities
- Supply or deliver food, medicine, dietary supplements or daily necessities
- Seek healthcare or medical services
- Procure any essential service other than those referred to in paragraphs (1) and (3)
- Perform any official duty
- Provide any essential service or perform any duty in relation to any essential service
Unfortunately, in order to limit the potential spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, their journey is restricted to a 10km radius from their respective homes, except for outstanding and special circumstances.
The latest rule also requires those returning from overseas to undergo health examination upon arrival in Malaysia before proceeding for Immigration clearance at any point of entry.
