KUALA LUMPUR: The much-anticipated announcement by the government to ease restrictions on those who have been vaccinated will be made soon after Hari Raya Aidiladha, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri said.
According to him, the technical working committee under the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV) is currently looking into making some restrictions more flexible for the public.
He said the results of the study by the JKJAV will be discussed in the National Recovery Council soon before a final decision is made.
“As announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, we will provide some flexibility for the people who have received both doses of their vaccine.
“At the moment, the technical committee is looking into the details such as who will this new flexibility apply to, how far they get to travel or which type of business will also be allowed (to operate).
“God willing, this will be announced after Hari Raya Aidiladha,” he told the media at the Defence Ministry, here, after launching the Mindef Prihatin programme today.
Mindef Prihatin is a programme championed by subsidiaries of the ministry in providing necessary assistance and food aid to those affected during the current Covid-19 pandemic including army personnel and veterans.
Recently, Muhyiddin said the government is planning on relaxing some restrictions to serve as a benefit or incentive for those who have completed the two-dose vaccination.
Muhyiddin said the relaxation could include permission to go shopping or cross district despite the movement control order.
This would be in line with the opening of more economic sectors when states transition to Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan (NRP), especially in the Klang Valley.
When asked on the spike in the number of daily Covid-19 cases caused by factories and companies which refused to adhere to the standard operating procedure (SOP), Ismail admitted the current RM50,000 fine was not real deterrent.
“Now that we are under a state of emergency, the government was able to amend the fine under the Emergency Ordinance from RM1,000 to RM50,000 for companies but this will only last until Aug 1 when the emergency ends.
“When we go back to Act 342 (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988), the fine will be RM1,000, so obviously these companies will not be afraid and will continue to disobey the SOPs.
“What is RM1,000 for these companies when they can make profits of tens of thousands of ringgit a day?
“There’s no word yet on (increasing the fine) but I have been hearing from many people that it looks like the RM50,000 is not enough to stop these companies from breaking the SOPs,” he said.
Today, the New Straits Times reported the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) urging the government to impose harsher penalties on employers who breach the Covid-19 SOPs.
MEF president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said while some employers adhere to the SOPs, there are also those who disregard the safety of their employees, giving a bad image to other employers nationwide.
Source: New Straits Times
