Only outdoor sports allowed in MCO areas in Selangor

PETALING JAYA: Indoor sporting and recreational facilities, including gyms, will not be allowed to operate in areas under the movement control order (MCO) in Selangor.

State communications officer Jay Jay Denis clarified that only outdoor recreational activities would be allowed in the six districts under MCO which is expected to last until May 17.

“We will follow the National Security Council’s (MKN) current directives allowing only outdoor activities, and the standard operating procedures (SOP) will be updated to reflect this, ” he said on Monday (May 10).

On Friday, the Youth and Sports Ministry said that sports and recreational activities without physical contact such as jogging, cycling and exercising were allowed in open areas, subject to the SOP.

He also added that Aidilfitri bazaars in MCO areas would have to close starting Monday, as per the latest announcement by MKN.

Selangor had previously allowed Aidilfitri bazaars to operate, but Ramadan bazaars would have to close during the MCO.

There was some confusion earlier as the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) had published a list of updated SOPs on its official Facebook page on Sunday (May 9), which stated that Aidilfitri bazaars as well as sporting and recreational facilities are allowed to operate during MCO.

The MPAJ SOPs stated that Aidilfitri bazaars would be allowed to operate until 10pm, while healthcare centres including gymnasiums, swimming complexes, and activities such as yoga, pilates, aerobics, zumba, tai-chi, could operate from 6am to 10pm.

An MPAJ spokesperson has since said that the council would update its SOPs when there was a change to the state's SOPs.