restricted movement Archives

MCO: 2 persons allowed in a vehicle – but only for specific purposes

For those who have been frustrated by the one-person-per-vehicle ruling under the Movement Control Order (MCO), there’s good news. The ruling has now been amended to permit two persons to be in a vehicle – but there are also conditions. The two persons should be from the same household and family, so it would be husband and wife, or mother and child, etc.

And as before, travel (maximum of 10 kms) is only permitted for the purpose of buying essential groceries, food, medical supplies or to seek medical treatment. And the range from home is 10 kms, unless there is a special reason to go further, ie for specialized medical treatment at a specific hospital or clinic (documents must be shown).

This allowance should be appreciated so don’t use it as an opportunity to go dating because that would get you arrested. Those who abuse this allowance will only cause problems for other law-abiding citizens who follow the rules because the authorities may decide to withdraw it since there is disobedience.

ROADBLOCK — The police and armed forces are at roadblocks day and night, in the sun and rain (and storms), so don’t make their job harder by not following the regulations. And if you wish to show appreciation for their hard work, pass them a box of drinks for them to buka puasa.

As the situation improves with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, the government is slowly adjusting the regulations but stresses the need to observe social distancing. This must be kept in mind now that more people can go out so supermarkets and other places will see more customers.

Many service centres are also operating but customers are asked to make appointments before going. This is to enable the personnel to adhere to the conditions of their permit to operate. The companies must practice social distancing in their premises for the protection of the public as well as their staff. Therefore making an appointment will enable them to prepare for the arrival of a customer and minimize interaction.

Note also that the 10-km range limit applies so choose the service centre closest to you. To determine how far away it is, you can use Waze or Google Maps to check the distance.

Last day to apply for interstate travel
Today is also the last day to apply for interstate travel. This is only for those who have been trapped in another place and want to return to their home in the city. To date, the police have received over 250,000 applications via the Gerak Malaysia mobile application. After reviewing the applications, the police will provide the National Security Council with the data for discussion on the schedule to allow travel to take place.

The plan is for the schedule to be from May 1, 2 and 3, depending on the volume of traffic and the origins/destinations of the travellers. Applicants who receive approval will be issued a QR code which they must show at roadblocks to pass through without problems.

Download Gerak Malaysia app from the Apple AppStore, Google PlayStore or Huawei App Gallery

Movement Control Order extended to April 28, 2020

The Movement Control Order (MCO) has been extended. Originally set to end on April 14, it will now end on April 28,2020. Announcing this extension, the Prime Minister said that the government would also tighten border controls to ensure movement was monitored closely.

The lengthy period of restricted movement which has seen most companies, other than essential ones, ordered to be closed has been very challenging for businesses. In the auto sector, although workshops can operate, they can only provide emergency services and not normal servicing. Obviously, sales of vehicles have come to a standstill and even though some companies are providing ‘online purchases’, customers would still not be able to take delivery of their vehicles since the registration process cannot be done.

Car showroom — *With car showrooms not able to operate for almost the whole month, April will be the worst month ever in the industry for both new and used vehicle sales.*

However, the government will allow certain sectors to operate with specific conditions to protect the workers. It has already relaxed the restriction on places like hardware stores and shops selling vehicle spare parts, permitting them to open from 8 am to 4 pm on Mondays and Thursdays. Other types of business that can operate will be announced in due course.

The extension of the MCO takes it into the fasting month and as stressed by the National Security Council, as long as the MCO is in effect, there can be no Ramadan bazaars and gatherings for prayers are also forbidden. This is to prevent close contact which can allow transmission of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Movement Control Order extended until April 14 2020

The Prime Minister has announced that the Movement Control Order (MC) will be extended a further two weeks until April 14, 2020. When first introduced on March 18, it was to have been until March 31, 2020 but the number of new COVID-19 cases is still not heading downwards. Up till noon today, the number of cases on record is 1,796, with 172 new cases being reported.

The PM made the announcement after discussions with the National Security Council “The government is of the opinion that the Movement Control Order should continue. The trend is expected to continue for a while before we can see the number of new cases reported decline.. In line with this, the government have decided to extend the MCO until April 14. I am informing you on the extension earlier so that the people can be prepared,” he said in a televised broadcast.

Advising Malaysians to be mentally and physically prepared to stay at home for a reasonably longer period of time, he said that those already in their hometowns need not return to Kuala Lumpur or other cities at the end of this week. In any case, under the MCO, there is a ban on interstate travel except with authorisation by the police.

The same restrictions apply and we should be glad that at least some movement is still permitted for people to go out and obtain essential items periodically. In some countries where there are lockdowns, the restrictions are stricter. You should only go out (one person per household) to buy the items needed and then return home immediately.

Supermarkets are allowed to remain open for business and restaurants can provide food for takeaway and deliveries. You can still get your nasi lemak and McDonalds or KFC using food delivery services such as Grab or Foodpanda. The PM gave assurance that food supplies are sufficient for everybody even though the MCO has been extended. So don’t buy more than necessary since you can go out again to resupply.

Businesses that are non-essential will have to remain closed, posing a problem for small companies. The government has been looking at ways to provide relief to all sectors and for individuals and SMEs (Small & Medium Enterprises), Bank Negara Malaysia has directed that a moratorium be provided for loan repayment. This will be for 6 months from April 1 and during that time, vehicle owners who have H-P loans do not have to pay the instalments and will not get a late penalty charge.

We are not alone in this. In virtually every country around the world, governments are forced to take measures, some very severe, to fight the COVID-19 pandemic as numbers keep growing. Stay strong and stay at home to do your part in preventing the virus from spreading.

Tighter restrictions on Penang Bridge crossing, Jln Duta toll plaza also restricted

Five days have passed since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was introduced and the restrictions will continue to the last day of this month. The MCO aims to limit movements of the public, who are supposed to remain at home, in order to slow down if not stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the country.

While most people have been following the directive to stay home (but can go out to purchase essentials and for valid reasons), there are also many who ignore it. Fortunately, the police are tolerant and keep offering advice to persuade them to stay home rather than just arrest them since they are committing an offence.

It seems that there are many who still do not understand the seriousness of the situation and continue to travel for social reasons, so the police (now assisted by the army) are tightening things up. Besides more roadblocks, travel from Penang island to the mainland is not permitted unless there are valid reasons (buying vegetables is not accepted).

Jalan Duta Toll Plaza — *File picture of the Jalan Duta toll plaza.*

It has also been learnt that the toll plazas at Jalan Duta and Damansara on the edge of Kuala Lumpur are closed to traffic going towards the North-South Expressway. Only those who have valid reasons and permits will be allowed to pass through; all others will be told to turn around and go home. The restriction is likely to be until March 31, 2020, the last day of the MCO.

Incidentally, if you are planning to use an ATM, you can only do so between 7 am and 10 pm during the period of the MCO. Outside of those hours, the ATMs will be offline. While online banking services will be available as usual, operations at banks may be limited.

“You should expect some disruption or delays in normal branch operations in line with the need to ensure effective crowd containment. Some branches may be closed and branches that are open will have limited counter services or reduced operating hours,” Bank Negara explained in its latest FAQ.

Movement Control Order restricts movement but there is some flexibility

The Movement Control Order (MCO) has come into effect today, a strong nationwide action that is necessary to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus which has become a pandemic situation. Understandably, there has been some confusion and uncertainty about certain aspects of the MCO since this is the first time ever such an Order has been used.

We are fortunate that it is not as restrictive as Lockdown orders which have been used in China, Italy, France and some other countries which are facing rapid increase in COVID-19 infections. A Lockdown totally restricts movement and special permission is needed to even go to the supermarket to buy supplies.

As we’re a motoring website, we’ll cover what is relevant to motorists and the main thing is that you are not supposed to be travelling ‘socially’. This means that you should remain home unless you need to go out for a reason like buying supplies or medicines, or to pick up someone from the airport. There is no curfew (and hopefully won’t be) so movement on public roads is not forbidden.

No crossing state lines, except Selangor and KL
With most offices and shopping centres closed, there is much less traffic on the roads but unfortunately, this is not the time you can enjoy it. Furthermore, the police have clarified that interstate travel is forbidden, with the exception of the Klang Valley which has Selangor and WP Kuala Lumpur.

There was confusion yesterday after the IGP said that applications must be made at police stations for a permit to travel to another state. Long queues quickly started at police stations (so much for trying to achieve social distancing) until the police withdrew the requirement just hours before the midnight deadline when the MCO would come into effect.

Borders — Travelling between states is not permitted unless there is an exemption given by the police. Furthermore, the MCO also stops Malaysians from leaving the country, leading to an unusual scene at the Causeway to Singapore where there are no jams at all (right).

Following a meeting, another announcement came out about half an hour after midnight which again stated that there is a ban on interstate travel during the two weeks of the MCO (March 18 – 31, 2020). This time, the IGP said that permits would not be issued freely upon application; only in special cases will an exemption be given. The accepted reasons are:

To visit a close relative who is critically ill
Death of a close family member
Medical purposes/treatment

The police would also consider other reasons on a case-to-case basis but the IGP made it clear that invalid reasons would not get the permission to travel to another state.

New regulations gazetted to strengthen powers of MCO
To strengthen the legal position of the MCO, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has gazetted the regulations and actions which the MCO covers. The gazetted regulations which are new are known as the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within the infected local areas) Regulations 2020. The gazette also identifies all states and federal territories in Malaysia as ‘infected areas’ and travel between infected areas is not allowed except with permission. Committing offences will result in jail terms or fines.

This sounds like a lockdown since whatever state you live in, you are in an infected area. Therefore, as per the MCO, Malaysians are not to move about. However, there is still some flexibility – hopefully not abused – where travel is permitted for official duties, special purposes and essential activities such as buying food or seeking healthcare. It is also permissible to make a journey to and from certain places where food is available for take-away or drive-through outlets.

Street — The MCO is meant to restrict movement to stop or slow down the spread of the disease. However, there is some flexibility provided for travel to buy food or essential items but you should not just drive around for no reason.

Aiming to slow down spread of virus
Once you have completed your ‘mission, you should return home immediately. Other than that, you have to remain in your house and not go out to ‘makan angin’. The aim of the MCO is to prevent the further spread of the disease through human-to-human contact. Social distancing is therefore being strongly promoted, meaning that you should stand at least one metre away from another person.

Workshop — The latest statement from the National Security Council issued this afternoon allows workshops to carry out vehicle repairs. According to the NSC’s statement, mechanics can also continue to operate at a minimal level, along with towing services.

We appeal to you to adhere to the MCO conditions so that the situation can, hopefully, not worsen. If after two weeks, the MCO does not seem to have done much to slow down the number of infected persons, then the government may be forced to introduce stricter measures which will be more unpleasant for all of us. Let’s do our best not to reach that stage.

How motorists can help to prevent the spread of COVID-19

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