MAY 21 — It's mind boggling that reports are coming in of traffic crawls on PLUS Highway heading north and south as thousands attempt 'balik kampung' ahead of Hari Raya Aidilfitri weekend.

Perhaps special advisor to the prime minister on public health, Dr Jemilah Mahmood was right to consider if a lockdown during Hari Raya Aidilfitri would be necessary as a preventative measure against a spike in Covid-19 cases in the country.

Even if she was thinking out loud, many would agree with her. Perhaps not the thousands who are in their 'balik kampung' rush, but the more than 420,000 who signed an online petition to urge the government to immediately cancel the conditional movement control order (MCO) and to continue the MCO certainly would.

Perhaps, after six regulations to enforce the MCO, it’s time for the regulations to move away from their current shape and form.

The regulations in the UK and Singapore offer a model on which our regulations can take their form and shape.

The regulations could start with the basic restriction that every person must not leave his place of residence or where he is living without reasonable excuse. “Reasonable excuse” may include:

• to obtain basic necessities (including food and medical supplies for those in the same place of residence (including any pets or animals in the household) and supplies for the essential upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the residence or to obtain money)

• to take exercise either alone or with other members of their household;

• to seek medical assistance;

• to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person, or to provide emergency assistance;

• to donate blood;

• to travel for the purposes of work;

• to attend a funeral;

• to fulfil a legal obligation, including attending court or satisfying bail conditions, or to participate in legal proceedings;

• to access essential services;

• in relation to children who live in the same residence to bring a child to any of the child’s grandparents or a child care centre for the care of the child and back to his residence;

• in relation to children who do not live in the same residence to continue existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children;

• to move house where reasonably necessary;

• to do anything reasonably connected with and for the purposes of the matters enumerated.

It may be provided that the regulations may not apply to a person who is homeless.

But they should include:

 - the prohibition that no person must permit any other individual to enter his place of residence for any reason other than as permitted under the regulations (which may be specified); and

 - the prohibition of social gatherings between persons not living in the same place of residence.

These should address medical experts’ fears that social gathering in a confined space may invite an unwelcome guest – an asymptomatic person.

It is basically a stay at home order unless movement is permitted by the regulations.

Stay at home is the new normal. Leaving one's home only with reasonable excuse is another new normal.

There is still time for new regulations.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/what-you-think/2020/05/21/time-for-new-regulations-hafiz-hassan/1868355