KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 — The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) has decided to postpone the implementation of the second phase of the Population and Housing Census 2020 (Census 2020), which involves face-to-face interview, for the whole of Sabah and a new date for it will be announced later.

Census 2020 commissioner Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said in a statement today the decision was taken following Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s announcement today on the implementation of the inter-district controls throughout Sabah effective 12.01am on October 3 until October 16.

"Based on this, supervisors and enumerators appointed in Sabah need not turn up for duty throughout the implementation of the inter-district controls in Sabah while the training sessions for enumerators in Sabah scheduled for October 1 to October 5 have also been called off effective immediately,” he said.

However, Mohd Uzir, who is also the Chief Statistician, said Census 2020 would continue to be implemented in other states in accordance with the standard operating procedure (SOP) and subject to notifications from time to time.

The second phase of Census 2020 via a face-to-face interview will be implemented from October 7 to October 24.

Ismail Sabri had also said today that the implementation of the Targeted enhanced movement control order in four districts in Sabah, namely in Tawau, Lahad Datu, Kunak and Semporna as announced earlier remained in force. — Bernama