1. The second meeting of the COVID-19 Quartet Ministers has just ended. Today’s focus, among others, is on the tourism and sports sectors to which the Minister himself, the Minister of Tourism, YB Dato ‘Sri Hajjah Nancy Shukri and the Minister of Youth and Sports, YB Dato’ Seri Faizal Azumu have been invited.
2. The Honorable Minister of Tourism presented on the latest developments in the implementation of the Langkawi travel bubble pilot project. Alhamdulillah, we are informed so far it is going smoothly as planned.
3. If this positive development continues, it is capable of paving the way towards the implementation of travel bubble initiatives in other destinations. The Quartet Ministers have set a period of 2 weeks to assess the latest developments in Langkawi before submitting proposals for other destinations to the COVID-19 Pandemic Management Special Committee chaired by the YAB Prime Minister.
4. The Honorable Minister of Youth and Sports presented on the opening of the gymnasium and bowling alley which was announced last week. It is important to clarify that the Government allows the opening of sports and recreational activities in indoor areas by taking into account the third pillar, namely the well -being of the people, especially in terms of mental health and understanding the needs of the gym operators themselves.
5. However, the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) has emphasized that operators and consumers must be responsible and disciplined in complying with the ventilation guidelines that have been set. This is especially important as the gymnasium is a closed area, thus increasing the risk of COVID-19 infection if any party is concerned about compliance with SOPs and guidelines.
6. Apart from the gymnasium, the Minister of Youth and Sports also presented on the potential of opening the stadium to the public to watch football matches and suitable sports. This is still at the discussion stage where the proposals that have been submitted by YB Dato ‘Seri Faizal Azumu earlier will be raised for scrutiny at the level of the Special Committee on Pandemic Management chaired by the YAB Prime Minister.
7. Meanwhile, the meeting also focused on efforts to improve the standard operating procedures (SOP) that had been announced to the public previously and simplify it from 181 SOPs to 10 only. This effort is going well and gives confidence that it can be completed as planned at the beginning of October.
8. I am also pleased to inform that the Second Meeting of the Quartet Ministers today has agreed to the proposal that the owners of petrol station business premises, restaurants/eateries/convenience stores be allowed to operate uniformly in all phases with operating hours from 6:00 am to 12: 00 pm except for PKPD area. This will be raised to the Special Committee on Pandemic Management tomorrow to be recommended by the YAB Prime Minister before deciding on the effective date.
9. It is important for me to explain that the focus of the Quartet Ministers is to open up the sectors involved in a gradual and safe manner. Our focus is #ReopeningSafely.
10. Towards the endemic phase, more flexibility will be given to the people. In this regard, I hope the people will not be complacent but remain disciplined in adopting the SOPs and adhere to the guidelines that have been set. It should be emphasized because as soon as the Government announces the onset of the endemic phase, it means we all have to live with the COVID-19 virus.
11. Now I hand over to YB Dato ‘Sri Hajjah Nancy and YB Dato’ Seri Faizal Azumu.
