Malaysian movement control order
The Movement Control Order (Malay: Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan Kerajaan Malaysia), commonly referred to as the MCO or PKP, was a series of national quarantine and cordon sanitaire measures implemented by the federal government of Malaysia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The orders were commonly referred to in local and international media as "lockdowns".
"Movement control order" redirects here. For other uses, see Stay-at-home order.Malaysia Movement Control Order
18 March 2020 – 1 November 2021
(1 year, 7 months and 2 weeks)
Containment of the pandemic
- Prohibition of movement and mass assembly nationwide, including all religious, sports, social and cultural activities.
- All religious activities in mosques suspended, including Friday prayers
- Malaysians barred from leaving the country, and restrictions placed on the entry of non-Malaysians into the country
- All industries local or federal are closed except for infrastructure services and supermarkets, wet markets, grocery stores and multi-functional stores selling daily necessities
- All nurseries, government and private schools, including boarding schools, international schools, tahfiz centres, primary, secondary and pre-university education institutions, public and private universities, and vocational training centres closed
Completely lifted
24,081 (As of 3 May 2020)[1]
Beginning on 18 March 2020,[2] the MCO was enforced nationwide and encompassed restrictions on movement, assembly and international travel, and mandated the closure of business, industry, government and educational institutions to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.[3] These measures were periodically relaxed and strengthened throughout the following 19 months in response to the changing epidemiology of the disease. Movement control orders were also localised to specific states and federal territories or smaller areas. The Movement Control Order was included in the National Recovery Plan (Malay: Pelan Pemulihan Negara, shortened to NRP/PPN) launched in June 2021.[4]
In October 2021, the Malaysian government lifted movement control restrictions for vaccinated people and announced its intention to treat COVID-19 as an endemic disease.[5]
Measures by state and territories[edit]
Kedah[edit]
On 3 August 2020, four sub-district in Kubang Pasu were placed under EMCO due to increased new cases caused by Nasi Kandar restaurant in Napoh town.[182]
On 10 September 2020, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob placed an enhanced movement control order (MCO) on the district of Kota Setar from midnight 11 September to 23 September following an increase in COVID-19 cases. Residents will not be allowed to leave the area and outsiders will not be allowed to enter.[183]
On 16 September 2021, Langkawi was reopened under a travel bubble for fully-vaccinated tourists from any state, including Phase One states. Children who visit the island must be accompanied by fully-vaccinated adults.[184]
Kuala Lumpur[edit]
On 7 June 2020, the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan announced that the Kuala Lumpur City Hall will allow open markets, morning markets, night markets and bazaars to reopen in stages following the implementation of the Recovery Movement Control Order on 15 June.[185]
On 1 October 2021, mosques in Kuala Lumpur were allowed to have full capacity.[186] Zoo Negara was also reopened to the public.[187]
Labuan[edit]
On 15 October 2020, Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob placed the federal territory of Labuan under a conditional movement control order, which would run from 17 October to 30 October. Under this lockdown, all economic activities will be allowed to operate but religious, cultural, and social sectors including schools and kindergartens will remain close.[188][189] The conditional movement control order in Labuan was subsequently extended from 31 October until 13 November.[190]
Negeri Sembilan[edit]
On 30 September 2020, Negeri Sembilan's Human Resources, Plantation and Non-Islamic Affairs committee chairman J. Arul Kumar announced that the annual ten-day Deepavali carnival, which had been scheduled to be held between 4 and 13 November, had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic following advice from the National Security Council.[191]
Pahang[edit]
From 21 to 31 March 2020, the state of Pahang has enacted that all business stores in Kuantan, Pekan, Bentong, Jerantut and Temerloh (Cameron Highlands had already begun to implement the measure on 16 March) must only operate during the day up to 12 hours, and need to close after 7 pm to 7 am. According to the measurement, all shops that were originally allowed to operate during the period of the control order, including drive-thru restaurants, fast food restaurants, and petrol stations, are no longer allowed to operate between 7 pm and 7 am.[192] From 1 April, PDRM's state division tightened state borders and set up roadblocks on the state's major highways.[193]
Perak[edit]
Wholesale market operating hours in Perak during the MCO were designated from 4 am to 10 am, however, from 6 April 2020, wet food-related businesses such as poultry and seafood were designated from 4 am to 10 am, while businesses for vegetables and fruits were designated from 11 am to 4 pm. The closure from 10 am till 11 pm was dedicated for cleaning processes.[194]
Sabah[edit]
On 10 September 2020, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that an enhanced MCO would be placed around Tawau prison from 11 September till 23 September, affecting prisoners, inmates and their families. During this period, visitations will not be allowed.[183]
On 28 September 2020, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that an enhanced MCO would be enforced in Lahad Datu, Tawau, Kunak, and Semporna between 29 September and October 12. During that period, residents will not be allowed to leave the four districts, non-residents and visitors would be barred from entering, and all business activities except those providing essential goods and services would have to cease.[195]
On 5 October 2020, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that the state capital Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, and Putatan would be placed under a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) commencing 7 October. Under the conditional MCO, travel into these districts will be limited, express and transit buses will not be allowed to operate, and only essential services such as food and health services will be allowed to operate.[196] The following day, Senior Minister Ismail announced that the federal government would ban most interstate travel to and from Sabah with the exceptions of emergencies, deaths, and essential services subject to approval from the Ministry of Health. Travel would be limited to Sabah natives, essential workers, civil servants working in Sabah, and permanent residents residing in Sabah.[197]
On 2 November 2020, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that the EMCOs at the Kepayan Prison and Taman Mat Salleh Prison Quarters in Kota Kinabalu would be extended by two weeks until 16 November.[181]
On 7 May 2021, the Sabah state government banned any non-essential inter-district travel for the duration of a CMCO lockdown between 10 and 16 May. For the duration of the CMCO, Kota Kinabalu, Putatan and Penampang would be considered to be one district.[198]
On 3 July 2021, the city council of Sandakan allowed dining-in at restaurants for only two people per table, following the orders of Chief Minister Hajiji Noor.[199]
On 13 August 2021, Sabah's government decided that only fully-vaccinated people can enter into supermarkets and restaurants, due to the high number of cases. This is to rush the people of Sabah into being completely vaccinated within a month.[200]
On 1 October 2021, Sabah allowed grocery stores, convenience stores, mini markets, and hypermarkets to be opened from 6 am to 10 pm. Petrol stations and their convenience stores were allowed to be opened from 5 am to midnight. Restaurant operators including hotels, sports and recreation club houses, eateries, food stalls, food trucks, roadside hawkers, circulating hawkers, food courts, hawker centers, roadside food stalls or kiosks were able to operate from 6 am to midnight.[201]
Sarawak[edit]
On 27 July 2020, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that the Malaysian government will limit inter-zone (Zone 1: Kuching, Samarahan and Serian division. Zone 2: Sri Aman, Betong, Sibu, Sarikei, Mukah, Kapit, Bintulu, Miri and Limbang division) movement in Sarawak between 1 and 14 August at the request of the Sarawak Government to curb the spread of COVID-19 within that state, particularly around the state capital Kuching.[202]
On 6 December 2020, the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) allowed spas, wellness and reflexology centres in the state to resume operations effective from 7 December.[203]
On 29 May 2021, Sarawak's government imposed a stricter lockdown for two weeks until June 11. Under the lockdown's rules, movement from 10 pm to 5 am was not allowed except in emergencies, and children under the age of 12 were not allowed to go to crowded places like shopping malls.[204]
After Sarawak was placed under Phase 1 of the nationwide lockdown, it was moved to Phase 2 on July 14, 2021.[13] Its state government originally planned to permit dining-in in restaurants on June 7, but due to repeated surges in Covid cases,[205] it banned dining-in in restaurants until July 16, and ordered that only restaurant owners and workers who received their first vaccination were allowed to resume their work[206][165][207]
On 19 July 2021, the Disaster Management Committee of Sibu has ordered that all business operators and their workers must be fully-vaccinated in order to continue working, and they must show a vaccination certificate at their shops' entrance.[208]
On 20 August 2021, the state government of Sarawak banned dining-in at restaurants, restricted businesses to operate from 5 am to 8 pm, and prohibited anyone from leaving their homes after 10 pm except for emergencies. Those rules affected the southern districts of Kuching, Bau, Lundu, Samarahan, Asajaya, Simunjan, Serian and Tebedu, due to a wave of Covid infections. They were implemented from 21 to 28 August.[168]
On 6 October 2021, interdistrict travel was allowed without needing a permit.[209]
Selangor[edit]
On 10 October 2020, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that weddings would be limited to 250 people in the Klang District. An earlier announcement had limited weddings to 500 people.[210]
On 14 October 2020, the Klang Valley was placed under a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) with inter-district movement prohibited until 27 October. 96 roadblocks were set up to enforce this movement restriction with only workers with valid passes and authorisation letters being able to travel between districts. While offices, restaurants, and shopping malls remain open, they are subject to stricter health and social distancing rules. The CMCO also affects the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, which lie within the boundaries of Selangor.[211][212]
On 20 October 2020, employees in the private and public sectors, at the management and supervisory levels, in areas under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) were instructed to conduct remote work starting Thursday, 22 October.[213]
On 1 February 2021, the "State Investment, Industry and Commerce, and Small and Medium Entreprises" (SMEs) chairman Teng Chang Khim announced that Selangor's Chinese New Year celebration will be held online via social media due to the ongoing pandemic.[214]
On 17 May 2021, the Malaysian Health Ministry indicated that it may order a total shutdown in Selangor if current Movement Control Order restrictions are unable to curb a sharp spike in cases in that state.[215] Due to recent daily cases rising up to over 2,000, the government has enacted an Emergency Movement Control Order on July 3 for two weeks on most of the state, except for several districts in the north.[216][217]
On 3 July 2021, the Works Ministry ordered all construction work in EMCO areas to be stopped. Only critical maintenance, repair, and wiring works are allowed if they have appointments.[218]
On 17 July 2021, the EMCO placed over eight districts in Selangor ended. Only four locations in Damansara, Ampang, Klang, and Batu remained under EMCO until July 31.[219][220]
Terengganu[edit]
The Royal Malaysia Police in Terengganu planned to impose traffic control based on vehicle registration numbers, where vehicles with odd or even registration numbers are only allowed to travel during odd- or even-numbered days, respectively, starting 1 April 2020. The plan was later postponed the day before the rollout to allow a detailed study of the proposed control.[221]
Kelantan[edit]
CMCO in the whole of Kelantan is launched on 21 November until 6 December 2020.
It is then extended for Kota Bharu, Machang, Pasir Mas and Tanah Merah from 7 December until 20 December 2020.
Kubang Kerian in Kota Bharu & Kusial in Tanah Merah will continue the CMCO from 12 December until 20 December 2020, while other districts' CMCO is lifted and change back to RMCO.
MCO2.0 in Kelantan started from 16 January until 18 February 2021. Then, it is changed from MCO2.0 back to CMCO from 19 February to 15 April 2021.
But, due to the sudden rapid surge in new cases in Kelantan areas, the government had announced that 7 districts in Kelantan involving Tumpat, Kota Bharu, Pasir Mas, Machang, Bachok, Pasir Puteh and Tanah Merah will enter MCO3.0 from 16 April until 29 April 2021. After that, the remaining district in Kelantan, which are Jeli, Kuala Krai, and Gua Musang will start implementing MCO3.0 together with the remaining districts from 22 April to 29 April 2021. As what government announced on 27 April in his press conference, MCO3.0 in whole Kelantan is extended again from 30 April to 17 May 2021.
During this period, primary and secondary schools in all 7 districts stated will be changed to online classes temporarily from 24 April until 12 June 2021.
National Security Council's Power[edit]
Yusramizza Md Isa, Senior Law Lecturer at Universiti Utara Malaysia, noted that the government's actions in issuing the MCO are under the auspices of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988. Under Section 5 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988, the Health Ministry is the main authority in charge.[257]
However, on 6 April 2020, Minister of Defence Ismail Sabri Yaakob reported that only the National Security Council (NSC) can issue directives during the MCO.[258]
Yusramizza further noted that unless "disaster emergency" or "a security area" is declared by the Prime Minister based on Section 18 of the National Security Council Act 2016 and Article 25 of the Malaysia National Security Council Directive 20, the military is not empowered to arrest, seize and search.[257]
Kuala Lumpur lawyers Haeme Hashim and CK Lew from Messrs. Haeme Lew suggested that the government ought to declare a "disaster emergency" according to Article 25 of the Malaysia National Security Council Directive 20 and for the entirety of Malaysia to be declared as a "security area" under Section 18 of the National Security Council Act 2016, failing which the NSC and military do not have full power in administering this Movement Control Order. Only the police have full power and the military only works to assist the police in strengthening control over the order.[259]
Civil society organisation Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (Madpet) has stated that a special task force may be formed to assist health ministry, but not the NSC. A spokesperson for Madpet Charles Hector noted that the Malaysian government may have quietly and wrongly resorted to using the draconian National Security Council Act 2016 in the combat to curb and defeat the coronavirus threat as the NSC, under the NSC Act, seemed to be making decisions and issuing orders on coronavirus-related issues. Hector notes that the Ministry of Health's authority may be ousted by the NSC, and that the NSC may be wrongly taking overpower and control from the Ministry of Health, which is really the responsible Ministry under the Prevention And Control Of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.[260]