RMCO: What happens on 1st Jan 2021? Malaysians need answers

[ UPDATE 1/1/2021 17:45 ]: Malaysia’s RMCO has been extended until 31st March 2020. The 3 month extension has been confirmed by the Ministry of Health.

[ UPDATE 1/1/2021 01:50 ]: It appears that RMCO rules have been extended until 31st March 2021. More details here.

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The current Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) is currently scheduled to end today on the 31st of December 2020. During the Prime Minister’s address to the nation this evening, there was no mention of an extension which left a lot of Malaysians wondering, what happens next?

At the time of writing, the National Security Council (NSC) has yet to provide an update on the latest RMCO that’s currently enforced on the national level until today. Due to a high number of new cases in several states, the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) for Sabah, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor has been extended until the 14th of January 2021.

According to the NSC’s website, the latest published SOPs are currently enforced until 31st December 2020 at 11:59pm. The documents include a list prohibited activities and economic sectors, permitted operational hours and various protocols for different segments. Even the link for the FAQ for CMCO areas currently leads to a 404 page.

Senior Minister Dato Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob hasn’t provided any updates with regards to the RMCO and typically, he would leave it to the Prime Minister to make the announcement. Malaysia has been placed under the Movement Control Order for 289 days since 18th March 2020.

Without an official extension for the RMCO, what does this mean for states that are not under CMCO? Are business owners able to operate with pre-MCO hours? Can authorities still penalise individuals that don’t wear a face mask? Are Malaysians still prohibited from travelling overseas? Are we able to hold large scale events?

These are questions that need to be answered loud and clear to avoid any misunderstanding. Remember the MySejahtera SOP confusion at petrol stations?

Although the government has lifted several restrictions to boost the economy, the Prime Minister has urged everyone not to be complacent with the loosen restrictions because the battle against COVID-19 is not over. He reminded the public to continue to adhere to the SOP to reduce the spread of the disease.

With a new record high of 2,525 COVID-19 cases reported today, it is clear that we are still not out of the woods yet and some form of movement control order is still necessary. Even with the vaccine, the SOPs are still necessary and it is something that we all need to practice for an extended period of time. For now, everyone must still play their part to control the pandemic which include wearing face masks in public, washing your hands frequently and social distancing.

The government should really make it clear about the status of the RMCO as soon as possible. This is to reduce the risk of misinformation from irresponsible parties as the people are searching for answers.