KUALA LUMPUR: The National Security Council (NSC) has been told to deliberate with the Health Ministry if a green light could be given to restaurants to operate until 10pm during the Movement Control Order.
Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this was following suggestions to the government to extend the opening hours from 6am to the current 8pm.
"Many gave their views that it is inconvenient for them to buy food when premises are closed at 8pm.
"The meeting discussed this matter today and we have asked NSC to discuss with the ministry on this.
"It needs to be studied because if the restaurants are allowed to open, then there would be other operations (from other sectors) which would ask that they, too, be allowed to open until 10pm.
"So we have asked that the ministry provide their views on this (the extension of operating hours) as requested by many Malaysians," he said today.
The Senior Defence Minister added that an announcement would be made as soon.
The Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) president Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan had recently appealed to the government to extend the operating hours of restaurants during MCO to 10 pm.
He said this was to give time to customers who want to pack food at the restaurants after 8pm due to their working hours.