Only three states are set to follow the Federal Territories in allowing businesses to operate under the relaxed conditional movement control order, as announced by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Friday.
The other three states that have agreed to allow economic sectors to kick-start, with conditions, are Perlis, Malacca and Terengganu.
Perlis, however, is also looking at a stricter standard operating procedure it plans to announce on Tuesday.
Under the eased restrictions, businesses can operate as usual, restaurants can offer dine-in services while people can partake in outdoor exercises. However, they will have to adhere to strict health and hygienic practices. People are also only allowed to leave their home for work and return home straight after work.
Two other states – Selangor and Perak – have, meanwhile, tweaked the conditional MCO with stricter conditions to ensure the spread of Covid-19 is better curbed.
Their version includes barring dine-in services in restaurants, and sporting activities.
The rest of the states, however, have decided not to implement the conditional MCO, or have postponed its implementation to allow for better preparation to meet standard operating procedures.
These states will maintain allowing the economic sectors already operating in the current MCO to continue.
Sarawak was the first state to decide not to implement the conditional MCO, saying it would decide what was good for its people.
Sabah, likewise, decided to retain the MCO, set to end on May 12, and decide on opening up its economic sectors then.
Kedah, Johor, Pahang and Kelantan, meanwhile, have delayed the implementation of conditional MCO. The Johor security council will meet tomorrow to make a decision while Kedah’s security council will meet on Tuesday.
Pahang will make its decision at a weekly exco meeting on Friday while Kelantan will decide on Thursday.
Penang, too, has postponed implementation of the conditional MCO until it prepares a comprehensive guideline and will start opening its economic sectors next week.
In Perak, the relaxed restrictions will be limited to increased hours of operations for food outlets, but this is confined to takeaways and delivery services only.
However, state government offices will operate as per usual from tomorrow.
In Selangor, the state government has decided to implement the conditional MCO, but with its own amendments that include limited operating hours for restaurants and not allowing dine-in services.
In Kuala Lumpur, City Hall will open all its public parks tomorrow to allow people to exercise.
Public libraries, multi-purpose halls, sports complexes and Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur will, however, remain closed.
The idea behind Muhyiddin’s move to ease up business restrictions is to ensure the economy can start the revival process after being hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and MCO.
However, many have called on the government not to be too hasty in allowing businesses to restart and for people to be allowed out, fearing it will result in a spike of infections.