PRIME Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has said Putrajaya will not implement another movement-control order (MCO) as he fears the economy will collapse, as Covid-19 cases spike in the country.

Speaking from his home today, Muhyiddin said the government will only implement targeted enhanced MCO (TEMCO) in areas which have been classified as red zones. 

“As the head of government, I closely monitor the development of Covid-19 cases. I will make important decisions to curb this virus from continuing to spread in our society. This includes implementing TEMCO in areas identified as red zones,” he said in a special address which was aired live on Facebook. 

The Bersatu president added if Putrajaya implements another MCO, the economy will collapse and social upheaval among Malaysians will ensue.

“We will not implement a total MCO. If this is implemented once again it will cause a big impact to the country which we fear will destroy the economy and the social system. 

“What will be done by the government is to implement TEMCO for those areas with high Covid-19 cases,” Muhyiddin explained.

Muhyiddin said with TEMCO, economic activity in the country can continue smoothly.

“The areas not affected by Covid-19 can continue operation with strict standard operating procedure (SOP) and enforcement. I believe our health system is ready to cope with any increase in cases without having to shut down economic sectors like we did earlier,” he said.

The number of new Covid-19 infections jumped to 691 today, with four deaths also recorded.

Of the new cases, 688 are local transmissions, with the bulk at 397 coming from Kedah, and 219 from Sabah, said director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

In Kedah, 394, or 57% of the total cases today, came from the Tembok prison cluster.

Noor Hisham said the Tembok cluster is within a EMCO area in Kedah while the prison itself is also under lockdown to ensure that cases are segregated from the outside community.

Other states also saw a higher increase of new cases, with Selangor reporting (38), followed by Perak (8), Negri Sembilan (7), Kuala Lumpur (4), Sarawak (3), Penang (3), Putrajaya (1), Terengganu (1) and Labuan (1).

Today’s new cases put the country’s tally of cumulative cases at 13,504.

Active cases are now 2,936. Of these, 31 patients are in intensive care, with 8 requiring intubation.

Of the four deaths, three were in Sabah and one was in Penang, putting the country’s death toll from the coronavirus at 141.

One of the deaths include a 1-year-old Malaysian girl, the country’s youngest Covid-19 victim. The three other deaths were of two patients aged 60, and an 85-year-old, all of them male.

Muhyiddin said the country is in a much better position to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak now compared to March when the MCO was introduced.

“We are now better prepared than before in terms of experience and manpower. We know the behaviour of the virus better and we have enough facilities and equipment,” he said.

He said Putrjaya is putting in place new policies for schools and new rules to limit gatherings, which will be announced soon.

The prime minister said the best way to break the Covid-19 transmission was to stay home whenever possible. – October 6, 2020.