Bitter pill may work, say KL and Selangor residents

PETALING JAYA: While there is general frustration over the latest enhanced movement control order imposed in most of Selangor and parts of Kuala Lumpur, some people have chosen to swallow the bitter pill.

Many took to social media to express their agreement or their concerns.

@wannotone said that if the latest restrictions are enforced “totally” together with mass Covid-19 testing, the enhanced MCO would succeed.

@Macyng71 had a similar opinion, tweeting, “Right action. Tough but effective. Testing everyone and quarantining all positives is effective”.

On Facebook, user Khatijah Ibrahim said it was “better late than never” and expressed her hope that the outcome of the enhanced MCO would be positive.

“Sorry to say but if the whole of Selangor is under lockdown for two or four weeks while the whole population is vaccinated, God willing, there will be an improvement,” said Facebook user Ruby Nordzalina.

However, many residents living in these enhanced MCO areas expressed confusion over the exact locations affected, and whether they would be allowed to leave their house for work or vaccination, or receive online shopping deliveries.

On Twitter, @joshychong questioned if workers living in enhanced MCO areas would be allowed to go in and out of their district for work if they had approval letters from the International Trade and Industry Ministry.

@romyjarr tweeted, wondering if delivery personnel could enter enhanced MCO areas to deliver parcels, saying it would cause “first degree chaos” if this was prohibited.

Others asked what difference an enhanced MCO would make compared to the blanket Phase One of the National Recovery Plan.

@mathanamuhilan tweeted, “It has been a very long time since MCO. Now they have announced EMCO in Selangor. I don’t know what things will be done differently now.”

Some also questioned why some factories are still allowed to operate, saying that the manufacturing industry has contributed to a high number of Covid-19 cases in Selangor.

On Twitter, @reinedeloup posted, “Of course, instead of shutting down factories, they’re simply imposing EMCO on a few PPRs (people’s housing projects) in KL. Those who have already been hit the hardest by lockdowns now can’t even leave their homes.”

@calvinlove29 tweeted, “After locking down for a month with numbers high still, due to factories’ clusters. The solution here is to further lockdown EMCO but factories still allowed to open? What will that solve?”