The closed shophouses listed under non-essential services at Carpenter Street, Kuching with only a 7 Eleven and a couple of eateries offering takeaways open.
KUALA LUMPUR: Day five of the Movement Control Order (MCO) is expected to see a higher level of compliance as members of the public are believed to have gained a greater understanding of the demand to limit their movement and stay at home.
What more with the Armed Forces being deployed to help the police enforce the MCO to ensure that the people will not be loitering outside, starting 12.01 am today.
For the government, the main purpose of the MCO implementation is no other than to stop or break the chain of Covid-19 infection and set Malaysia free from this deadly coronavirus.
Hence, there should not be any excuse for the MCO to be taken lightly or, worse still, ignored completely.
The government asked only one thing from the people, that is for them to stay home.
By the end of day four yesterday, the capital and other major towns across the country had slowly turned into ‘ghost towns’ compared to the first three days of the MCO implementation – giving evidence that that the people may finally have taken the order seriously – and it is hoped that their level of compliance will continue to improve further today and throughout the remaining of the MCO period.
Senior Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said that only one person can represent the family to go out and run essential errands and do some essential matters during this 14-day MCO period.
Yesterday, the Raja Muda of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail decreed the people in the state to obey the MCO without making any excuses, which should also be heeded by the rest of the Malaysian population.
State authorities nationwide are also beginning to tighten enforcement by granting operating permission to only certain retailers and business premises in accordance with the MCO.
Among those given permission are sundry shops and 24-hour convenience stores, which can operate until the times stipulated in their respective states.
Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang are the earliest to enforce it by allowing the premises to operate from 7 am to 7 pm or 7 am to 6 pm.
Other states like Selangor, Melaka, and Penang are expected to follow suit today.
Many quarters have also taken their own initiatives to reduce the impact of the MCO, such as Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) which has been providing free food, twice a day, to all students who are still on the campus (residential colleges and rent houses).
The Selangor Tithes Board (LZS) has also set aside a special allocation of RM15 million as immediate aid to meet the daily and medical needs of people, especially hawkers, petty traders and those with low income whose livelihood has been affected by the order.
All these efforts were done in support of the government’s efforts in implementing the MCO, which is to set Malaysia free from Covid-19 infection. – Bernama