Car manufacturers allowed to work during lockdown

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 16 Jan 2021 1:40PM · 4 Comments

Honda says it will resume assembly at its Malaysia plants after the MCO, while Toyota has not specified when it will recommence operations. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, January 16, 2021.

CAR manufacturers with plants in the country can resume production again with the latest gazette of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures Within Infected Local Areas) (Movement Control)(Amendment) Regulations 2021.

The gazette lists automotive manufacturing as an essential service, which will be allowed to operate under the movement control order (MCO).

Following uncertainty, two manufacturers – Toyota and Honda – yesterday said they were shutting down their plants, reported Nikkei Asia, because automotive assembly was not considered an essential industry.

The report said Honda had shut down two of its facilities on Wednesday, while Toyota did the same on Thursday.

Honda has plans to restart operations on January 26, which is also the date the MCO ends.

Toyota, on the other hand, said: “a decision will be made later on”.

Perodua also discontinued production on Thursday.

Auto assembly was initially listed as an essential industry, but it was then removed from the exemption list at the last minute.

On Monday, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin reinstated the MCO in six states from January 13 to 26. 

The MCO is implemented in Penang, Selangor, the federal territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan), Malacca, Johor and Sabah while the conditional MCO is in place in Pahang, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan.

Perlis and Sarawak, which have the fewest active Covid-19 cases currently, will remain in the recovery MCO phase. – January 16, 2021.

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Comments

  • As usual with this govt, 360 degree turn. They can't even make up their mind on what is essential and what is not.

    Posted 5 years ago by Alison Teh · Reply

  • Get SOP right before implementing MCO. They seem to to learn during MCO 2.0

    Posted 5 years ago by Adrian Tan · Reply

  • Flip Flop Government.

    Posted 5 years ago by Bobby Gill · Reply

  • Imposing emergency rule is not a solution for this stupidity by the backdoor government.

    Posted 5 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply