Barbers, laundry services and car workshops among others can apply for MCO exemptions
CORONAVIRUS | The cabinet has allowed barber shops, full-service laundry outlets and the automotive industry as among additional sectors allowed to make applications from Monday next week to resume operations during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
In a media statement by the International Trade and Industry Ministry today, other sectors that are allowed to begin making the application from Monday are the machinery and equipment industry, the aerospace industry, construction projects and related services, science, professional and technical services inclusive of research and development (R&D), social health services including registered traditional and complementary medicine, as well as hardware shops, electric and electronic goods shops and opticians.
CORONAVIRUS | The cabinet has allowed barber shops, full-service laundry outlets and the automotive industry as among additional sectors allowed to make applications from Monday next week to resume operations during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
In a media statement by the International Trade and Industry Ministry today, other sectors that are allowed to begin making the application from Monday are the machinery and equipment industry, the aerospace industry, construction projects and related services, science, professional and technical services inclusive of research and development (R&D), social health services including registered traditional and complementary medicine, as well as hardware shops, electric and electronic goods shops and opticians.
In the statement, International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali said that those wishing to make the applications on Monday at 9am next week must make their applications online at the ministry’s portal.
Azmin said that the cabinet made the decision on April 8 after his ministry had gathered feedback from industry players, small and medium enterprises (SME), other ministries and agencies.
“The cabinet has made the decision to allow several additional economic sectors to operate in phases in accordance with guidelines health and movement control that are tight.
“The government’s decision is based on the result of studies that found the spread of Covid-19 not only have a major impact on health, but also would also be detrimental to the financial and economic performance and welfare of the people, especially in SME which is a major contributor to the workforce in Malaysia,” Azmin said.
He said that among the considerations in allowing the additional sectors to resume operation are on their importance in the global value chain and nation’s export; that they have high value-added multiplier; they have an impact on the continuity of SME in the economy especially in manufacturing and services; and the number of the workforce involved.
Azmin reiterated that it is compulsory for the sectors that receive the green light to resume operation during the MCO period to abide by the standard operating procedure (SOP) laid down for their resumption of operation.
“Besides abiding by the tightened terms and guidelines, the permission to operate is also bound by abiding by conditions laid down by the Health Ministry and conditions by other related enforcement agencies from time to time.
“Failure of the company to do so would cause the permission to operate be cancelled immediately and bring about legal action in accordance with the current Act,” he said.
According to an attachment of the media statement, there are certain prerequisites for the additional sectors allowed to apply for MCO exemptions.
Among them are that the automotive industry that can apply for the exemptions are limited to the export unit of completely build-up (CBU), equipment and components as well as aftersale services.
Earlier this afternoon when announcing the further extension of the MCO by two weeks, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that a list would soon be published on economic sectors that will be gradually allowed to operate during the MCO.
Keep up with the latest information on the outbreak in the country with Malaysiakini's free Covid-19 tracker.
Malaysiakini is providing free access to the most important updates on the coronavirus pandemic. You can find them here.
Help keep independent media alive - subscribe to Malaysiakini
