Commerce in Malaysia Stopped for 2 Weeks due to National Lockdown

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Malaysian government officially announced the enactment of a national lockdown from Wednesday, March 18, to Tuesday, March 31, 2020. All business activities and movements in or out of the country have been suspended for two weeks, in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

However, the Malaysian Government has opted against using the term lockdown, instead calling it as the ‘national restriction of movement order’, as announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today, as according to the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act of 1988 and the 1967 Police Act.

"The government's priority now is to avoid the spread of new infections, which will affect more people," she was quoted as saying on Malaymail.com, Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

Muhyiddin said that the national restriction of movement order means all businesses must be closed, except for outlets such as supermarkets and grocery stores that sell daily necessities.

Furthermore, all public and private buildings will be closed as long as the limitation order applies, except for essential services such as electricity, telecommunications, transportation, banking, health, pharmacies, ports, airports, sanitation and food supplies.

Continuing on, Muhyiddin went on to say that the national restriction of movement order would also mean that all Malaysians are now prohibited from travelling out of the country and no tourists are now allowed to enter the country.

“Malaysians who have returned from overseas must quarantine themselves for 14 days," she added.

BISNIS | DIO SUHENDA (INTERN TRANSLATOR)