Senior Minister: E-hailing food deliveries can still operate during Ramadhan

The government had announced yesterday that all forms of Ramadhan Bazaars including e-Bazaars are not permitted during the movement control order. To clear any doubt, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has reiterated that food delivery services by e-hailing companies are still allowed during the Ramadhan month which was mentioned yesterday.

The Senior Minister was trying to clear the air as there appears to be confusion of whether e-hailing companies are allowed to operate during the period. In today’s briefing, he said there are more than 40 companies providing e-hailing services in the country and all of them are allowed to continue operating. This includes delivery services from fast-food restaurants. In summary, existing food deliveries from companies such as Grab and Food Panda can still continue.

He repeated that the restriction is only applicable to all bazaars which include drive-throughs and self-pickup. Although smaller companies, individuals and restaurants can continue to provide food delivery services, they must be registered with local authorities. This is to ensure that they can be traced if there are any potential COVID-19 infections.

He also added that riders must undergo health screenings at any private or public health clinics in the respective districts for their own health and safety. At the moment, there are no details on how this health screening will be implemented for delivery riders.

In Penang, the local council had shared that they are still going ahead with their own “e-Bazaar” as its platform is different. Instead of having stalls operating from a central kitchen, Penang’s Jom Beli Online (JBO) platform allows Ramadhan Bazaar sellers to prepare their food from their home and the order will be transported to customers via a delivery service.

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