Ismail Sabri explains ban on balik kampung for Hari Raya – home visits within states also not allowed

Ismail Sabri explains ban on <em>balik kampung</em> for Hari Raya – home visits within states also not allowed

This year’s Hari Raya will be celebrated very differently, and most would lament the fact that balik kampung, which is such a big part of the annual festive season, will not be allowed. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, says senior minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Under the relaxed conditional movement control order (CMCO) period that we’re in now, most businesses have been allowed to reopen, and the rules that marked the earlier MCO such as the 10 km radius rule, 10pm curfew, and one-person-per-car rule have been discontinued. However, interstate travel outside of the current grace period for those who are stranded away from home is still not allowed.

Ismail Sabri said the government decided to not allow visiting family and friends over Raya as there was no way the authorities can ensure that social distancing is practised at respective households.

Ismail Sabri explains ban on <em>balik kampung</em> for Hari Raya – home visits within states also not allowed

“It is not like roadblocks where armed forces personnel can monitor the public on their compliance of regulations set. It also isn’t the same as SOPs (standard operating procedures) set at supermarkets because when at home, who is going to take your temperature before you enter the house, sanitise your hands and do crowd control?” he said on Bernama TV yesterday, picked up by Malay Mail.

The defence minister stressed that even though there are uniformed agencies placed under the special task force to monitor the public’s movement, it is not sufficient to control each house’s compliance of CMCO regulations nationwide.

“What we are doing is to enable us to take care of everyone. We don’t want Hari Raya to create a new cluster,” he said, adding however that things could change depending on the situation in the near future. “But as of now, we are exercising these regulations under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342),” the Bera MP said.

Ismail Sabri explains ban on <em>balik kampung</em> for Hari Raya – home visits within states also not allowed

Ismail Sabri revealed that the ban on Hari Raya home visits also applies within state boundaries, and not just for interstate balik kampung. So for example, if you live in Ipoh and want to visit the family in Taiping, that’s not allowed.

“We are still not allowing Hari Raya visitations even though one is dropping in on family or friends within the same state. Hari Raya house visitations are on the ‘negative list’, and as long as it’s there, we do not have an SOP in place for it,” the senior minister said.

The government has opened a window of interstate travel opportunity specifically for those who have been stranded away from home, after fleeing the cities before the MCO started – this is for people to return home, and not to their hometowns. Currently ongoing, the window is from May 7-10, and a travel schedule has been released to ensure smooth flow. The police has set up roadblocks at major highways to ensure that only those who have permission are travelling.

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • Ruslan Bahari on May 08, 2020 at 12:33 pm

    The question is how is this going to be enforced? Its all fine and dandy to have the ban, but how are you going to stop the 8 million people in Klang Valley from visiting each other? A man who lives in SS3 PJ to visit his mom in Damansara Heights, for example. How will you manage this?

    I am all for having some rules but then when you can’t make the rule effective, what do you do?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 3
    • Fareed on May 08, 2020 at 8:33 pm

      Sembang kedai kopi , when you talk for fun and can’t make the rule effective. Biasa da gomen …

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 1
  • Rakyat Malaysia on May 08, 2020 at 1:29 pm

    The majority already balik kampung has been staying at kampung for 2 months so by now should be muak of kampung and this is the time to go back home and relax before preparing to go back into working life.

    I hope the minorities who didn’t balik kampung try not to balik their villages and please don’t play the fool with the authorities. Abang-abang polis, please catch them and show them no mercy, as COVID situation isn’t resolved yet.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 2
    • Saya dari /k on May 08, 2020 at 8:54 pm

      Don’t worry. minorities are not bodoh

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • eeeriz on May 09, 2020 at 2:24 pm

      I beg to differ, going back to kampung for holidays are not the same going back for raya. Everyone celebrate raya knows this. This is hundred of years of tradition that till now is the MANDATORY activity to do.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
  • vivizurianti on May 08, 2020 at 6:04 pm

    Curi curi balik kampung maybe?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Manussa Vulan Bintang on May 08, 2020 at 9:03 pm

    How to stop family stays at the mines country heights balik kampong to ampang for festival celebration?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • anak perantau on May 09, 2020 at 1:20 pm

    Apparently the pandemic outbreak got more severed in Malaysia due to the previous festivity. Let’s show we learn from mistake and show our maturity. No visitations in any manner and just pretend the original MCO is still in effect.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
 

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