Datuk Aidi Ismail
KUCHING: The police will not allow people to go out for recreational activities during the fourth phase of the Movement Control Order (MCO), said Sarawak Police Commissioner Dato Aidi Ismail.
He said that this was in line with the state government’s decision to hold off on implementing the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) which was announced by the Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin on May 1.
“The Sarawak government has yet to allow this recreational activity, and they can always exercise within the compound of their home. Therefore, the police would not allow people to come out of their home for recreational activities,” Aidi stated when contacted today.
The State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) announced on May 2 that it would not implement the CMCO until it had studied the implications it would have on the state.
“The Sarawak government fully respects the announcement made by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on the need to reopen the economy hence relaxing the MCO effective this Monday, May 4, 2020,” Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said in a statement today.
“However the state government has decided to study the implications of the reopening of such economic activities, which sectors to open, when and to what extent they will be allowed to open.”
Uggah said the SDMC intended to make a decision after it had studied the changes in the regulations under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act (Measures within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020 pursuant to the announcement by Muhyiddin.
Muhyiddin’s announcement also said that all economic sectors and business activities in Malaysia would be able to operate under the terms and conditions of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) set by the Health Ministry.
However, he stated that sports activities involving large gatherings, body contact and other risks of infection are also not allowed, including football, rugby, swimming and all indoor and stadium sports events.
Outdoor sports activities which do not involve body contact and in small groups such as badminton or tennis outdoors without an audience, jogging, cycling, golf and running comprising of not more than 10 persons would be allowed on the condition that social distancing is practised.