PETALING JAYA: Childcare centres (taska) can now resume operations during the conditional movement control order (MCO), bringing relief to working parents everywhere.
Also allowed are outdoor pre-wedding photo shoots, while those wanting to travel interstate to get married can do so now as long as they obtain police permission, said Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He added that all 7,000 registered childcare centres have been given the permission to operate starting yesterday.
Prior to this, he said 304 out of the 7,000 nurseries were already given permission to operate based on the basic standard operating procedure (SOP) approved by the government.
Following the tabling of a comprehensive SOP for childcare centres by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry yesterday, the government has decided to allow the remaining nurseries to resume operations immediately.
“We have agreed with the new SOP, which we find to be comprehensive, and so we have allowed all remaining taska to operate, ” he said during his daily briefing yesterday.
He said the move would help parents who were unable to go to work due to having no one to look after their children at home.
Ismail Sabri said there were also employers who forced their workers to take unpaid leave if they needed to be home with their children, although the government had warned against it.
Taska operators could refer to the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry’s website or the Welfare Department for more information on the new SOP, he added.
For preschools or kindergartens (tadika and tabika), he said their SOP would be coordinated by the Education Ministry before they are allowed to operate.
“This coordination process by the Education Ministry is important because the management of tadika and tabika is under the supervision of multiple ministries, ” he added.
Interstate travels for the purpose of getting married are also now allowed, and so are outdoor pre-wedding photo shoots.
Those intending to cross states to perform the solemnisation of marriage must, however, obtain police permission before travelling, Ismail Sabri said.
“Those involved must follow the SOP such as not having more than 20 people at the ceremony, practising social distancing and also no pressing of palms, ” he added.
The special ministerial meeting yesterday also agreed to allow wedding photographers to start operating immediately, but this was limited to pre-wedding and solemnisation ceremonies only.
“We approved because this will not involve many people, so we allow photographers to do pre-wedding photo shoots in outdoor settings only such as at a lake.
“Wedding receptions are still not allowed, ” he added.
Filming for advertisements and movies are also allowed starting June 10, the minister said.
Meanwhile, the SOP for religious activities, including congregational prayers at mosques and activities at houses of worships, will be tabled at the ministerial meeting this Saturday, said Ismail Sabri.
-The Star