MCO 2.0: Govt to seek MOH advice on extending hours for eateries

COVID-19 | The government will seek the Health Ministry's advice on whether it is viable to extend the operating hours of restaurants in states under the second movement control order (MCO 2.0).

This came as Putrajaya noted public grouses on the 8pm time cap being too tight for them to grab dinner, especially for workers.

When contacted, Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said they have to consider the fact that the number of daily Covid-19 cases are still high.

"We also received questions from people asking if restaurants are to be allowed an extension until 10pm, then should other businesses also be allowed the same?

"Right now, the number of daily cases are still at the 3,000 mark.

"This is kind of difficult (to decide). So, let the Health Ministry come out with what they think of this," Ismail told Malaysiakini in a text message.

Under MCO 2.0, which has been imposed on seven states, the government has set a time limit for restaurants and eateries to operate only between 6am and 8pm daily. No dine-in is allowed, and sale of food and beverages are limited to takeaways, drive-through or food delivery services.

However, since the semi-lockdown started on Jan 13, some members of the public aired their dissatisfaction on the time constraint for them to get food, with some saying that it was too short a time for them to do so after work.

This had led to online debates among netizens, and recently sparked a heated argument between two individuals on Twitter which led to a trending hashtag #SiBodohKauDengarSini.

MAIN STORY: Frustration over MCO food hours sends #SiBodohKauDengarSini trending