The new directive applies to Penang, Selangor, Melaka, Johor, Kelantan, and Sabah as well as Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan. Originally, the MCO (Conditional MCO for Kelantan) period for these states was supposed to conclude on 26 January 2021.
The extension doesn’t come as a surprise since the government has recently decided to turn almost all states in Malaysia into a MCO zone with the exception of Sarawak. Furthermore, the country has been facing four-digit figures for new COVID-19 cases since early December 2020 and so far, there is no sign that it will subside anytime soon. On another hand, Minister Ismail has also announced that eateries will be allowed to extend their operational hours to 10:00 PM starting from tomorrow, 22 January onwards. The decision was taken after members of the public and eatery operators complained that the 8:00 PM closing time was too early and many were not able to obtain their meals on time.
In fact, it caused such a ruckus among local netizens who have expressed their dissatisfactions through social media. Their grouses had then led to the creation of #SiBodohKauDengarSini hashtag on Twitter that went viral earlier this week. Despite the new closing time, dine-in is still being prohibited which means the options for customers are still limited to take-away, drive-thru, and delivery. This directive covers not only restaurants but also food trucks, food courts, hawker centres, food stalls, and roadside vendors. Meanwhile, please don’t forget to do your part in the fight against COVID-19 by wearing your face mask and practice social distancing when you are out of your home. Please remember to wash your hands often as well and try to stay home as much as possible. (Image: ATM, RTM live feed, McDonald’s Malaysia.)
