MCO: PDRM to grant travel permission from hometowns to cities between 1 – 3 May

[ UPDATE 26/04/2020 20:00 ]: Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has clarified that the government has yet to provide a green light for the 1st to 3rd May travel dates. Cabinet approval is required before interstate travel is allowed. More details here.

[ UPDATE 26/04/2020 13:00 ]: The Royal Malaysia Police has announced that applications can now be made via Gerak Malaysia. More details here.

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As announced recently, the government is considering allowing travel between hometowns to the city next month. The Royal Malaysia Police has just provided more details on the one-time trip that will be permitted during the movement control order (MCO).

According to Bukit Aman Criminal Investigations Department director Datuk Huzir Mohamed, those stranded at hometowns may return to their place of residence in the city between 1st to 3rd May 2020. However, those that intend to do so must apply for permission starting tomorrow, 26th April 2020.

Permission required

Those wishing to travel interstate may apply online via the Gerak Malaysia app. According to the police, you can fill up your application on the 26th of April, and on the 29th of April, you are required to reconfirm your travel destination within the app. Those that submitted may check their application status on 1st May.

The Gerak Malaysia app was initially developed as a contact tracing tool that uses geolocation information via GPS. At the moment, the app only shows a QR code which is to be used by medical frontliners and authorities enforcing the MCO. At the time of writing, the app doesn’t have a submission form just yet and we expect the app to be updated soon.

The police also said that a press release on the application procedure for Gerak Malaysia will be released today and there will be a press conference on 29th April which focuses on the state-wide movements.

For those who can’t apply through their smartphones may submit a written application at their nearest police station. To avoid overcrowding, the public is urged to make a telephone appointment before going to the station.

As mentioned by Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the authorities will need to estimate the number of people that plan to travel so that they can plan ahead. This would help the government to track population movement especially if people are crossing between green, yellow and red zones. The minister also reiterated that balik kampung is not allowed throughout the MCO and this one-time permission is to enable people to return back to the city.

Road users urged to plan ahead

Those that plan to make the trip back to the city are required to plan their journey. During the MCO, there are no food facilities at Rest and Recreation areas (R&R). The prayer rooms will be closed and any prayer activity at the R&Rs will not be allowed including open spaces and parking lot.

During the period, public toilet facilities are allowed to operate. Road users are also allowed to rest at parking areas within their own vehicles and you’re only allowed to leave the vehicle to use the toilets. The police also added that petrol stations will only be operating between 6am to midnight along the highway.

[ SOURCE 2, IMAGE SOURCE ]

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