KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 — Every state in Malaysia should cooperate by carrying out the standard operating procedures for the reopening of businesses and industries under the more relaxed conditional movement control order (CMCO) that started today, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali insisted.

Azmin, who is also minister of international trade and industry, noted that some of the state governments in Malaysia have refused to cooperate and follow the federal government’s new SOP.

“Effective today companies from almost all sectors of the economy are allowed to operate following the government’s decision on April 29, 2020.

“Nevertheless, the government is aware that several states are not co-operating in implementing the Government’s decision,” he said in a lengthy statement.

Azmin urged state governments in the country to continue previous cooperation in fighting against the Covid-19 outbreak by now working together with the federal government to open up businesses.

“Hence, the state governments are urged to co-operate in executing the federal government’s decision to regenerate the economy. The government is confident that we, as a team, will succeed in winning the ‘war’ against the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We have worked shoulder to shoulder in implementing the MCO in our efforts to contain Covid-19. Now, we need to remain united and strengthen our collaboration towards our economic sustainability, securing our livelihoods and the well-being of the people,” he concluded in his four-page statement.

Earlier in the same statement, Azmin noted that several industry bodies such as the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers and the Malay Chamber of Commerce of Malaysia have already urged for state governments not to impose direct restrictions to stop companies from resuming their operations from today (May 4).

“Should the state governments refuse to co-operate in implementing Act 342 which has been gazetted into law enforceable throughout the country, the state governments may face the possibility of legal action from various parties, particularly the industry players,” he said, referring to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 which is the main law used to enforce and lay out regulations for the MCO in the country.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/05/04/cooperate-to-implement-sops-or-industries-may-sue-azmin-says-after-state-go/1862977