UPDATE AT 11:20 PM/March 17: The police have withdrawn the restriction on interstate travel temporarily pending a meeting tomorrow.
At times like these, it’s understandable that there will be people who want to return to their hometowns and be with loved ones. Unfortunately, from tomorrow (Wednesday March 18), you can’t just drive to another state as you always have because the Movement Control Order (MCO) comes into effect. While it doesn’t stop all vehicles from travelling along the highways, it does forbid crossing state borders and the police will be enforcing this restriction until March 31, 2020.
The IGP today made it clear that all cross-border travel will require permission from the police, and there should be a valid reason for wanting to do so. The public can go to police stations and fill out a form to apply for an exemption letter to allow them to go to another state. They must show documents to support their application.
However, the FAQ issued by the National Security Council states that travel to the airport is permitted (for a purpose, of course, and not just to go and look at the planes). The answer provided to the question ‘Can I drive to the airport to pick up someone who has returned from overseas, or that person is working in a sector which provides essential services?’ is ‘Travel to a place for a short while is allowed under the order’.
The FAQ also mentions that it is possible to go out to replenish supplies. Question: If my important supplies run out, can I leave home to buy things and return? The answer is Yes.
Malaysians are also not permitted to leave the country during the period so the Causeway and Second Link between Malaysia and Singapore will be closed, and presumably the same restriction would apply at the northern borders of Peninsular Malaysia and the borders in East Malaysia between Brunei and Indonesia.
The MCO may not be a curfew and is not a ‘lockdown’, both of which mean absolutely no movement outside homes. However, it is just as serious and those who do not follow it are committing offences. The first offence carries a sentence of 2 years in jail and a fine or both, while a second offence can put you in jail for up to 5 years. Continued breaking of the law will incur a fine of RM200 per day.
The MCO was activated as a measure to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. 120 new cases were added today, bringing the total number to 673 this evening. The first two deaths were also reported; both were males, one aged 34 and the other was 60 years old.
“The government is taking took this drastic action [of using the MCO] to control the outbreak by limiting the movement of the masses. It needs to take this approach to avoid more Malaysians getting infected with COVID-19 which has now entered its second phase,” Health Minister Dr. Adham Baba said at a press conference today.
