To know more about promotions at BHPetrol stations, visit www.bhpetrol.com.my.
Once again, the Movement Control Order (MCO) is in force, and businesses have to adjust to stricter conditions. However, this time round, there isn’t a total shutdown in the economic sector and where the auto industry is concerned, outlets and service centres can remain open. However, owners are limited by a 10-km range from their house during the MCO period.
Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) confirms that all its authorized dealerships and service centres remain operational nationwide. Owners are advised to book their service appointments online here.
Safe Hands initiative
The Volkswagen service centres follow strict guidelines under the ‘Safe Hands’ initiative, which includes contactless vehicle acceptance, video walkthroughs, sanitisation before and after service, cashless payments with e-invoicing and contactless car collection/return.
Additionally, in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures, stringent hygiene processes are followed, including regular sanitising of premises and vehicles, proper safety screenings, MySejahtera app check-ins and temperature checks.
Complimentary home delivery
Those who are shopping for a new Volkswagen can do so from home. They can obtain information at the Volkswagen eShowroom which is open 24 hours. Special deals are offered when booking online and home delivery serviceof the new vehicle is complimentary (within a 20-km radius from the preferred dealership).
The Roadside Assistance service that is enjoyed by owners also remains operational, although owners should not be travelling much at this time. Nevertheless, it would be a welcome service if the vehicle battery dies while it is parked at home.
For more information, visit www.volkswagen.com.my or contact any authorised Volkswagen dealership.
Although inter-state and inter-district travel has been stopped with the new Movement Control Order(MCO) in selected states (from January 13 until January 26 2021), PLUS Malaysia Berhad is maintaining its services and facilities as before, while adhering to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
“The PLUS highways are critical linkages of the nation and PLUS is highly cognizant of its preparedness to serve and provide the highest level of safety to all who urgently have to use our highways either to transport essential goods or for business during these times,” said the Managing Director of PLUS, Datuk Azman Ismail.
According to Datuk Azman, PLUS is also assisting the police in setting up roadblocks at major toll plazas in MCO affected states as inter-district travel is currently restricted to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Facilities open but no dine-in
During the first MCO last March, facilities at the Rest & Service (R&R) areas were shut down, except for petrol stations, but this time round, they will remain open. Those which are located under MCO states (Penang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Melaka and Johor) will be open from 6 am to 8 pm daily but sitting down for meals is not permitted. Customers will have to take their food away and consume them in the car or elsewhere. It is advisable to use the pre-order function in the PLUS App, which enables ordering of meals from selected R&Rs for takeaways.
The operating hours for R&Rs and lay-bys in CMCO states (Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah and Terengganu) will be from 6 am to 12 midnight and dine-in is allowed. However, strict physical distancing and other SOPs must be observed.
Suraus at all PLUS R&Rs, lay-bys and toll plaza lay-bys will be open. However, the surau operation is subject to further direction by the Islamic Religion Department under the respective states or districts.
Have enough balance for toll
“We urge highway users who have to travel on urgent matters to plan their journey properly and ensure that their Touch ‘n Go card and e-Wallets are sufficiently reloaded to minimize disruptions and need for physical interactions at the toll plazas,” said Datuk Azman. Those who have insufficient card balance at the toll lane are advised to press the intercom button for assistance.
Under the new normal practised by many organisations that manages premises which are open to public, customers are denied entry or transactions if face masks are not worn. As such, PLUS asks the same of its customers to wear a face mask and comply with the SOPs when interacting with its frontliners who serve them.
“This will ensure the safety of both our customers and our frontliners in line with the #KitaJagaKita objective,” he said.
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If there is a breakdown along the highway, PLUSRonda patrol units will come and help at any time of the day or night. To contact PLUS, call 1800-88-0000.
The Movement Control Order (MCO) will be introduced again in Malaysia from January 13 and is set to run for 2 weeks until January 26 2021. Whether it will be extended will be decided at a later time. However, the MCO will not apply to every state and the strictest conditions will apply to Pulau Pinang, Selangor, WP Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Labuan, Melaka, Johor dan Sabah.
Inter-district travel will not be permitted (there will be roadblocks) and the range of travel will be a maximum of 10 kms from the home. Only two persons from the same household can travel in the vehicle for the purpose of buying essentials or food.
Kedah, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu will be under CMCO, while Perlis and Sarawak will be under RMCO, during the same period.
During the MCO, employees of most sectors, except those in essential services, are required to work from home, but 30% of employees in a company (in the management category) are permitted to work in their office if they wish. Employers are allowed to determine those from a support group who can also come in to work.
Movement is limited and people are urged to remain at home as much as they can. However, as before, they can still travel to supermarkets and restaurants to buy essential items and food. Dine-in will not be permitted, so either pick up your orders or use a food delivery service. Hawkers will still be allowed to do business but in all cases, social distancing and other SOPs the public should be familiar with will apply. Please observe them.
As before, interstae travel will not be allowed and the maximum range for travel is 10 kms from the house to buy essential items or food.
Those who have special need to travel to hospitals or medical facilities may do so, and scheduled operations are still allowed to carry on. However, SOPs must be strictly observed.
Social activities in MCO states are banned, which means any event with public gatherings, including wedding receptions and group sport activities. Seminars and conferences are also not permitted. This means that Thaipusam festivities and processions are not allowed in all states, except for Perlis and Sarawak.
However, recognizing that being isolated at home could be detrimental for mental health, people are allowed to leave their houses to carry out recreational activities only with members of their households. If exercising, it is important to be at least 2 metres apart and if company is needed, only one other person should follow. Cyclists are also asked not to cycle in groups.
Much of the Klang Valley (Selangor and WP Kuala Lumpur) will continue to be under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) which has been in force since October 14. Penang can resume its Recovery MCO (RMCO, except for the sub-districts of Barat Daya and Timur Laut which will be under CMCO until December 20. Other states and regions will have varying levels of MCO depending on the number of cases.
There will no longer be roadblocks but the police will be checking on SOP compliance.
Speaking on behalf of the National Security Council, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that, from Monday December 7, there will be no roadblocks at state borders as the public can travel between states.
The number of passengers in vehicles will also not be limited to two or three but depend on the permissible seating capacity of the vehicle. A 7-seater can therefore have 7 people on board and will not be stopped by the police. This should be a relief for those with big families who wish to go out together although restrictions are still in force at restaurants with regard to the number of people at a table.
The number of occupants in a vehicle can be up to the maximum number permitted for the vehicle type.
What is important is to practice social distancing and not gather in groups, and to wear a face mask when in public areas. You should also make it a point to use hand sanitizer frequently and wash your hands with soap and water as well. Do make it a point to have your temperature checked, and scan the QR code or provide your contact details at shops or other places as this is important information in case contact tracing is necessary. You would want to know of a possible case at a place that you had visited, wouldn’t you?
UPDATE: According to a report by Free Malaysia Today which contacted the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC), there is no need to register with MySejahtera during ‘brief encounters’ such as pumping fuel, unless the motorist enters the store to make payment.
If you’re refuelling your vehicle today, it’s advisable to walk over to the station store to scan the MySejahtera QR code with your mobilephone (or register as per SOP). This could save you RM1,000 in case a policeman comes by and checks and you cannot show that you have registered.
Sounds ridiculous? Motorists around the country think so, especially when this ‘new’ SOP has been announced out of the blue when it was never ever said to be required in the 237 days that the country has been under a Movement Control Order of one level or another.
Never mentioned before
It is not something that the Ministry of Health or the National Security Council (MKN) has mentioned either. In fact, it only came to light in a report in The Maiay Mail, quoting a report in The China Press. The report said that the requirement was confirmed by Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department deputy director, DCP Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid.
The reason for the requirement which he gave? So that if there were cases of COVID-19 in the area [around the petrol station], the police could carry out contact tracing with the data collected by the app. He explained that if people did not register when they were pumping fuel, the police would be unable to trace them when required. In that case, we may also have to register just going to a postbox to mail a letter (not that many people do that nowadays).
There has already been at least once case, based on the China Press report, where a person was apparently given a summons for not registering while he pumped fuel, and the standard fine is RM1,000.
MKN people not clear either
At this time, it seems there is no clarity in the matter. A reporter at Sin Chew Daily contacted the MKN and got conflicting answers, so it seems that this SOP needs to be clarified quickly as thousands of motorists and motorcyclists refuel daily. Furthermore, the Bukit Aman officer said face masks must be work even when pumping fuel although earlier, another police officer said it is not necessary as the fuel pump is not a crowded area. DCP Datuk Mior, however, classifies it as a public area and therefore a face mask is required – even though the next person may be 10 metres away.
MySejahtera app can be downloaded at the Google and Apple app stores.
If the MKN confirms the police interpretation, then station operators may put the QR codes on the pumps for the convenience of customers. After all, why make them walk all the way to the store – and risk coming in contact with others along the way – just to scan for registration?
Abide by one law, break another
But then comes a second problem: in order to abide by the law on registering, you must break another law! That law concerns use of mobilephones at the pumps, which is forbidden for safety reasons. So you may save yourself RM1,000 but then get nailed for being caught using the phone!
Most Malaysians are well aware of the need to stop the spread of the coronavirus and observe the SOPs which are generally reasonable. However, this one about registering when pumping fuel is illogical and unnecessary and hopefully, we’ll hear from Minister Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob at the daily MKN briefing today that it is a ‘misunderstanding’ (which would save face those who make their own interpretations).
Finally, the restriction on interstate travel will end on June 9, coinciding with the ending of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) as scheduled. Announcing this today, the Prime Minister said that travel restrictions would only apply to areas which are under an Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO). These would be places which have a high number of COVID-19 cases and the authorities need to prevent further spread by limiting movement in and out of the areas.
From June 10 (Wednesday), the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) will replace the CMCO and Malaysians will be able to carry out almost all activities – including having their hair cut. Most economic sectors have been allowed to resume operations, along with the lifting of restrictions on most social, educational and religious activities (some in phases). The RMCO will run till August 31, 2020.
However, the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020, which gives legal power to enforce necessary actions remains in effect. It was gazetted on March 18 when the MCO started and provides for penalties for offences committed as well as the introduction of Standard Operating Procedures.
During the initial period of the MCO, roadblocks were set up around cities and towns to strictly enforce the movement restrictions.
As the situation showed signs of improving, some restrictions ended or were modified although interstate travel remained prohibited except for 4 days when those trapped in other towns when the MCO started were permitted to travel back to their places of residence.
Balik kampung for Hari Raya was prohibited
The prohibition on interstate travel was particularly frustrating as it was on during the Hari Raya festive period. The government made a firm decision to not allow the usual ‘balik kampung’ journeys and while most Malaysians complied, there were many who tried to sneak across borders. They were unwilling to understand that the prohibition was to prevent spread of the coronavirus, which some may have been infected with without knowing it.
Those who have missed their Sunday drives around the countryside can do so again without being stopped at roadblocks.
The freedom to drive anywhere in Malaysia again will certainly be welcome, especially for those who have missed their usual Sunday drives through the countryside. Perhaps this episode should also make us appreciate the freedom we have to do things which we enjoy, in safety. In some countries where there are wars, movements are limited and we have had a short experience of such a condition. Hopefully, we don’t have to go through it again.
Risk is less but threat remains
Meanwhile, the RCMO signals another phase towards normalizing life in Malaysia but it does not mean the threat of the COVID-19 coronavirus is gone. It is lessened but the risks are still there with 1,531 active cases. Failure to continue observing the recommended practices such as social distancing (minimum of 1 metre apart), washing hands frequently and using facemasks in crowded areas can result in transmission of the coronavirus. Anyone can be infected but it is the older folks who are at higher risk, as well as those already having certain health problems. COVID-19 is very vicious and those who are weak or with weak immune systems won’t be able to fight against it to recover.
As we move out of the CMCO, PISTON.MY would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the frontliners, especially those at hospitals, who have put themselves at risk in trying to help and treat infected patients. Let’s not waste their efforts and sacrifices. Now the responsibility to prevent a return of the pandemic in Malaysia is for all of us to take on and we should not become complacent.
It’s been almost 70 days that Malaysia has had the Movement Control Order (MCO) which has restricted movements besides other activities nationwide. In the earliest days, the conditions were very strict and while it was permitted to travel out of the home for the purpose of buying food or essential items, or seeking medical attention, only one person was allowed in the vehicle (except in emergency cases).
The concern then was about the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus and the measure was necessary to stop transmission. Roadblocks were set up to check on vehicles and many people got into trouble for not following that order. It presented some problems for some families where the wife – who usually did the shopping – might not know how to drive so husbands had to learn how to find things at supermarkets!
By the end of April, the conditions were relaxed a bit (although a 10-km limit was set for the distance of travel), and two persons were allowed in the vehicle. They had to be family members and living in the same household. This made sense since they were already staying together.
In the early weeks of the MCO, police set up roadblocks to check on vehicle occupants,
Within a short time, up to 4 persons were allowed to travel together in the vehicle and again, the condition was that they must be family members living in the same household. For taxis, however, the number of passengers was still restricted to two persons.
With things improving – as evident by declining numbers – the government began easing restrictions and even allowing businesses to resume operations. Today, it has been announced that the 4-people-per-vehicle ruling will be removed with effect from tomorrow (Wednesday May 27). Vehicles can now carry as many as permitted so those with MPVs can now take the whole family out. Yes, that condition remains – they must all be family members from the same household.
CMCO is still on
Many people don’t realize that the MCO – now Conditional Movement Control Order or CMCO – is still active. Though life seems ‘normal’, people are still required to remain at home unless they must go to work or do essential shopping. Cruising around town to ‘makan angin’ is actually not permitted and gatherings are also forbidden.
For this reason, the authorities were very firm on the conditions for the Hari Raya holiday period. Apart from prohibiting interstate travel, which meant no ‘balik kampung’ journeys. Visits were only allowed on the first day of Hari Raya and the traditional Open House was discouraged. For those who had to have it, they could only have up to 20 people in their home at any one time – and that number was dependent on the size of the home because of social distancing requirements.
Hari Raya Aidilfitri is here again but for this year, the celebrations will be somewhat different due to the continuation of the Movement Control Order (MCO). UMW Toyota Motor understands that many will be disappointed that they are unable to celebrate together with their loved ones in their hometowns.
To lift the spirits of Malaysians, the company prepared three videos, each with its own unique approach and theme, which was shared on its various social media channels.
“Drawing on Toyota’s own past experiences of difficult and challenging times, I believe that the human spirit is resilient and we will come out stronger. In the short term, things may be tough but at the end, there will be greater strength and confidence from having endured the challenges,” said Akio Takeyama, Deputy Chairman of UMW Toyota Motor.
In the first video posted, Malaysians were invited by the company to submit captures of themselves, observing Ramadan in their own way, while adhering to the MCO requirements to stay at home. These homemade videos were then strung together into a more complete film depicting real-life scenarios and experiences of Ramadan being observed under the unique circumstances.
For the Raya videos, there are two different themes. The first one shows a family coming to terms with the current situation, and accepting that it is a necessary sacrifice to make. For the second Raya video, which was shared on May 25, Toyota GAZOO Racing’s celebrity racers sing a Raya classic, “Senandung Hari Raya Untukmu”, to add sparkle to the celebratory mood, even while observing the MCO.
The first Raya video was produced by working with a real family who actually shot the scenes themselves. The father operated the camera and lighting with the family members as the talent, and their house as the main location.
Adhering to the MCO Standard Operating Procedures, production of all three videos had minimal crew present and even the director gave guidance via video calls. Social distancing was observed during filming with the exception of the family scenes since they depicted people living in the same house.
“The ultimate message of the videos is to stay strong and to continue our journey in the face of hardship. Similarly, Toyota is staying resilient by adapting to the current situation. With its e-showroom, virtual test drives, augmented reality app, and more, Toyota is making sure the public can still get its products and services while caring for the public’s safety,” said Ravindran K. President of UMW Toyota Motor.
“We realise this year’s festival will be different and while many are unable to be together, we hope that Malaysians will still be able to celebrate in a meaningful way at home. On behalf of UMW Toyota Motor, we wish all our Toyota owners, customers and business associates Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!” he said. “And to all Malaysians, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri and may you find peace and happiness.”
Click here for other news and articles about Toyota.
Hari Raya Aidilfitri (expected to fall on May 24) is approaching but this year, with the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to stop its spread, the government has declared that the traditional ‘balik kampung’ journeys cannot take place. There are great risks in allowing thousands to travel around the country as some may be carriers of the virus which has so far caused 114 deaths from almost 7,000 infected cases.
Malaysia is fortunate not to have the thousands of deaths that have occurred in some other countries and while the pandemic won’t completely end for some time, it is at least moderated to some extent in this country. That’s thanks, in a large part, to the hard work and sacrifices of the frontliners, especially those in hospitals.
Also helping to ‘flatten the curve’ of infections was the introduction of the Movement Control Order on March 18. The aim of the MCO is to cut the transmission of the virus by restricting contact and interaction among the population. Overnight, the country was virtually shut down as people were told to stay at home and the police and army were ordered to enforce the regulation strictly.
The MCO included a prohibition on interstate travel because it makes things more difficult to trace the movements of virus carriers who may bring it to their hometowns that might not have been affected in the first place. Contact-tracing is a crucial part of suppressing the spread as people who have been in contact with the carrier will be quarantined so they do not pass it on to others.
The prohibition on interstate travel is still on and the only exception was during four days recently when special permission was given to allow those who had been trapped in other places to return to their homes in other states. And that too required application and approval by the police who checked for valid reasons. Other than that, only in emergency cases will permission be granted, and the police are firm on this.
On many occasions, announcements have been made to remind people that they should not make any ‘balik kampung’ trips. By now, no Malaysian should be unaware of this restriction and yet, it appears that there are people who are desperate to travel to their hometowns. But there are roadblocks and if they have no authorization letter, they will be made to turn around. If they make things difficult, they could also get charged for not complying with the MCO which carries a RM1,000 fine and/or a jail term.
In fact, the police have reported the number of people trying to cross state lines increasing and they must be getting fed up with such law-breakers. Now they have announced that they will also be conducting checks in certain areas where there are many vehicles outside homes (a sign that may suggest many returnees) and owners of vehicles with registration plates from other states. It is an unnecessary waste of time as they have many other more important duties to carry out.
According to the Health Ministry, around 14% (971) of the total number of Covid-19 cases have a history of inter-state travel, meaning the infected persons brought the virus from one state to another. “About 18 clusters, from a total of 48 clusters recorded in the country, are linked to activities which involved crossing state borders. Ten of these clusters are still active,” said the Director-General at the Ministry of Health, Datuk Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, who is troubled by the number.
The implications of carrying the virus to the homes of parents or relatives in another state just don’t seem to be understood enough. It is known that older people are more vulnerable and can be seriously affected by the virus. It is known that there are some people who may not show symptoms of the virus immediately but they are already spreading it. If these senseless people who insist on going to the homes of their elders cause them to be infected and die, how will they ever live with that?
Yes, it is understandable that the family should be together on Hari Raya but these are extraordinary circumstances and as many say, there will still be other years to celebrate together. Carry the virus home and you may never celebrate with some of those loved ones again.
As Datuk Dr. Noor Hisham has warned, unless there is good compliance with the MCO/CMCO, the restrictions will have to remain in place. In the eyes of the Health Ministry, there is still a lot of non-compliance when so many are trying to ‘balik kampung’ even though they are not allowed to. Because of these people, the rest of us have to continue to endure restricted movements. Please do not be selfish and just stay in your state.
As the leading car company in the country, Perodua has a huge network of sales and aftersales outlets – all of which had to be closed when the Movement Control Order (MCO) was activated on March 18 this year. Now that the situation regarding the COVID-19 virus has eased a bit – though it has not ended – the government is allowing businesses to resume operations.
However, for Perodua, there are 182 sales, 202 service and 68 Body & Paint outlets nationwide and with the Standard Operating Procedures stipulated by the Health Ministry for the protection of the public as well as employees, the facilities have required some reconfiguration. This is to meet important requirements like social distancing that should be 1 metre apart.
Measures such as markers on the floor to guide visitors to stand apart (above) and seating areas also adhere to social distancing requirements (below). Note that the children’s play area is closed off, for safety reasons at this time.
“We announce today that we have finally put in place the necessary safeguards at all our outlets nationwide to ensure that our valued customers and employees will be sufficiently protected in the light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation,” said Perodua President & CEO, Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad.
Perodua outlets restarted operations on a staggered basis from May 12 and the company has been working hard to ensure all the sufficient health and safety measures are in place.
“We thank our valued customers for their patience and loyalty. We will ensure that all their motoring needs will be met as soon and as safely as possible,” he said.
Vehicle production resumed on May 11 and the company is now doing its best to fulfil demand as quickly as possible.
Customers looking to service their vehicles are required to secure an appointment slot beforehand with their service centre of choice. Walk-ins will not be accepted at present to avoid crowding.
All visitors to any outlet must undergo temperature checks before entering the outlets, register their details and adhere to social distancing markers within the outlets at all times. Hand sanitisers are placed at key locations, while the outlets themselves are sanitised regularly.
“These safeguards are part and parcel of our commitment to our collective health and safety, towards making the Perodua Experience the best it can be,” said Dato’ Zainal.
To locate a showroom or service centre near you, visit www.perodua.com.my.
