NSC to consider many factors before deciding on CMCO

Commuters using the "MySejahtera” app before embarking on the GoKL bus during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) in Kuala Lumpur. - Filepic

PETALING JAYA: The National Security Council (NSC) will not be hasty when deciding whether to implement a conditional movement control order, as many factors have to be taken into account, says a source.

The regular NSC meeting attended by ministers and top authorities yesterday discussed ways to loosen MCO requirements, especially for the sake of the economy, but no decisions were made.

“It was agreed that the Health Ministry will first undertake a risk assessment study to see whether it is viable to relax the current MCO in different sectors.

“We need data analytics to ensure the MCO imposed on economic sectors does not prove too costly for the government and the rakyat, ” said the source.

There has been much discussion among the business community as talk of a total economic shutdown went viral in the last few days because the number of cases continues to spike despite the MCO being imposed in almost all states.

On Jan 24, a leaked memo from EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Eurocham) raised similar fears, as such concerns were raised in a meeting with the International Trade and Industry Ministry two days earlier.

However, Eurocham issued a clarification later, saying Miti never mentioned an immediate lockdown after Feb 4 and the informal discussion was merely on how the business community could play a role in flattening the Covid-19 curve.

Major trade chambers such as the Associated Chinese Chamber and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) and Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia have appealed to thousands of their members to strictly comply with the SOP as workplace clusters remain the biggest to date.

ACCCIM president Tan Sri Ter Leong Yap said everyone must take their roles seriously in stopping the pandemic and ensuring the nation does not enter another lockdown.

Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia vice-president Norsyahrin Hamidon reminded the public that when businesses such as SMEs are affected, not only the owners suffer but the employees and their dependents too.

SMEs are responsible for millions of jobs, as they are the biggest employers in the country, and were the worst affected during the MCO period.