Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi — Bernama photo
PUTRAJAYA (Oct 11): Allowing interstate travel again is another positive step by the government in boosting the country’s economic recovery, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
He said the move would help the distributive trade and retail sectors of the economy in particular.
“The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) welcomes the announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, which gave permission interstate travel for Malaysian families who have completed their vaccinations.
“The distributive trade sector is one of the main economic activities in the country and has contributed 16 per cent to gross domestic product (GDP) or RM311.6 billion in sales value in the second quarter of 2021,” he said in a press statement.
Nanta said while the distributive trade and retail sectors have fully reopened, they still need to comply with standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the National Security Council (NSC) to curb the spread of Covid-19.
In this regard, he said businesses in the distribution trade sector under the supervision of KPDNHEP no longer require a letter of authorisation to operate through the Covid-19 Information Management System (CIMS).
“However, each sector is still subject to the current National Recovery Plan (NRP) standard operating procedures, especially for states that are still in Phase 2 and 3 NRP,” he said.
Apart from that, as members of the Malaysian Family, Nanta called on consumers and traders to be smart and prudent by implementing purchasing strategies such as planning purchases, location, and time of purchase to maximise savings.
He said consumers and traders should put quality first and always compare prices and buy from premises that are reasonably priced.
Nanta opined that everyone should not be complacent about the flexibilities given because everyone has gone through difficulties and hardships in complying with measures during the pandemic such as the Movement Control Order (MCO).
“It should not be repeated due to the negligence of Malaysians in complying with the SOPs that have been set. This is important in helping the country in reopening the economy as well as preparing to live in the endemic phase safely or reopening safely,” he said.
Nanta added the ministry’s enforcement teams will continue to inspect and enforce compliance with SOPs to prevent the spread of Covid-19 through Ops Samar, where enforcement officers will be in plain clothes.