PUTRAJAYA must show restraint when it comes to extending the movement-control order (MCO) beyond April 14 to contain the Covid-19 pandemic as it affects the economy, a former health minister told The Malaysian Insight.

Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the federal government should consider gradually loosening restrictions if the MCO is extended so as to reduce its economic damage.

The advice follows businesses warning of massive lay-offs and civil society groups reporting of more low-income folk going hungry as the three-week MCO halts commerce and trade.

He, however, said the MCO should not be abruptly ended as rules must still be in place to reduce the spread of infections.

The MCO was enforced on March 18 to break the chain of Covid-19 infections. As of yesterday, the number of infections stood at 4,228 with 67 deaths.

“There may be a loosening of the MCO but with appropriate measures in place. We can’t be subjected to the MCO for months on end because of its adverse impact on the economy,” Dzulkefly, who served as health minister in the previous Pakatan Harapan administration, told The Malaysian Insight.

“We are seeing positive results of MCO and we must celebrate and recognise that. However, we should have a debate about the appropriate measures moving forward.

“It is about how to take a step down but rules on social distancing should be in place for banks and shopping areas. It should be a smart loosening of measures rather than an abrupt end.”

For instance, certain staff in non-essential services and businesses could start returning to work so that their companies can restart some operations, he said.

“This means wearing masks at all times, sitting at least 2m away from colleagues, not having any physical contact and not having large-scale meetings or gatherings.”

Regulations, such as stores and supermarkets not allowing more than 100 customers in at any one time, should also continue, he said.

Dzulkefly’s comments come as Putrajaya decides today on whether to extend or remove the MCO that has been in place in Malaysia for the past three weeks to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

“It was important to buy time for the healthcare system to catch up, to have enough ventilators and hospital beds in order to treat a rise in cases. But thankfully, there was no escalation in the number of infections,” he said.

There is speculation that Putrajaya may keep the MCO in place after its deadline of April 14 but reduce some of its restrictions.

Dzulkefly said even with loosening of restrictions, Malaysians must get used to a “new normal” of reducing contact.

“The habits we learned during the MCO must not be discarded.

“The practice of using online platforms for business, for education, must continue,” he said, adding that the pandemic is not over. – April 10, 2020.