Malaysia issued a movement control order from 18th March to 31st March 2020 in order to flatten the curve of rising COVID-19 cases. People are advised to stay home and only leave the house for a few pertinent reasons. Although many Malaysians were not seen to be taking this seriously, some even continued dining out in restaurants and going about their day as usual. However, there could be serious consequences for those who ignore the restrictions in place.
Although the country is not in a state of lockdown, gathering unnecessarily is prohibited and can result in fines or jail time. If you do come across people not adhering to the rules set by the government, you can call 03-88868110 or 03-88868126 to report them. Besides that, you can also choose to contact the nearest police station.
For those who are caught in a group, first-time offenders can be jailed up to 2 years or fined or both. Second-time offences can also result in fines or jail time for up to five years and any further offences that may occur will result in a fine of RM200. Currently, there is an advisory in place to inform people not to travel from one infected place to another. Individuals who do so will need “prior written permission of a police officer in charge of a police station,” which is applicable for interstate travel and they must also provide strong or valid reasons.
Individuals can only leave their home to perform official duty, to buy, supply or deliver food or daily necessities, to travel to and from limited categories of premises, including any premises which provide essential services, to seek healthcare or medical services and other special purposes that may be permitted by the director-general.
Essential services are still up and running to provide to the public. Supermarkets, wet markets, banks, ATMs, clinics and pharmacies are still operating. Restaurants are also open however only take-away and delivery is permitted, strictly no dining at the restaurant.
As of 18th March, there were 117 new cases of COVID-19 bringing the total cases to 790. 11 patients were discharged bringing the total number of recovered cases to 60 and 2 deaths.
