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Abang Johari. – Photo courtesy of UKAS
KUCHING (August 29): Sarawak will follow the federal government’s decision to extend the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) until December 31, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said.
He said that RMCO’s goal was recovery and, at the same time, served as a precaution to slow the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
“We will follow it because it is national. But (standard operating procedures) it will be relaxed. It’s for recovery so it should be fine.
“But we shouldn’t take things for granted either. As you know, even in New Zealand, Covid-19 returned. So we must take precautions, “he said.
He was responding to reporters after officiating at the 2020 Sarawak Women’s Day celebration at the Borneo Kuching Convention Center (BCCK) here this afternoon, asking him to comment on Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s announcement that the RMCO will run until December 31.
The current RMCO was originally scheduled to end on August 31 after it went into effect on June 10.
Prior to RMCO, the government enforced the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) from May 13 to June 10 and the Movement Control Order (MCO) from March 18 to May 12 to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Muhyiddin said that despite the country’s new positive Covid-19 cases having remained in single digits recently, Malaysians should not take the matter lightly.
He said that the government had no choice but to continue implementing mechanisms and laws to break the chain of Covid-19 infection throughout the country.
“This is to ensure that all parties will continue to adhere to SOPs (standard operating procedures) and health protocols established by the government,” Muhyiddin said.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari assured that the Bantuan Kasih Sayang Sarawak (BKSS) will continue to present itself to eligible recipients until December this year in line with the RMCO extension.
He said the state had anticipated that motion control orders will not end one way or another, as the war against Covid-19 is far from over.
“Our BKSS is until December. Every two months we pay until December. We anticipate this (RMCO extension) will happen last time, ”he said.
BKSS was first announced on March 23. A total of RM1.15 billion was allocated for this special aid to help those affected by the Motion Control Order (MCO).
On April 10, BKSS 2.0 was announced with an allocation of RM1.1 billion, focused on helping small and medium-sized entrepreneurs and the business community affected by the MCO.
Then on May 8, BKSS 3.0 was announced with an allocation of RM300 million to help more people affected by the MCO and the Covid-19 pandemic.
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