KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 ― Putrajaya has now allowed federal and state lawmakers to cross state and districts for their work, even as most of the country is still placed under the movement control order (MCO) that restricts such travel.

A paragraph in the updated MCO standard operating procedures (SOPs) released today stated that: "State assemblymen and MPs are allowed to cross districts and their respective states during the movement control order (MCO) period on official matters or to visit constituencies.

Malaysians were initially banned from cross-border travel during the initial MCO and the subsequent conditional MCO (CMCO).

However, as the country entered recovery MCO last year, the travel was allowed again except to CMCO areas. When most of the country went back into CMCO, the travel was still allowed, which many said had contributed towards the spike of Covid-19 cases.

The travel ban then returned with the MCO 2.0, except for those with travel permission.

Earlier this week, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said that husbands and wives who are separated by the interstate travel ban during the MCO can now travel to meet their spouses and families, subject to permission from the police.

Separately in the SOP, the government has also allowed night markets or "pasar malam” to operate during the movement control order (MCO).

In the updated rules, night markets are allowed to operate between 4pm and 10pm.

Previously, Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil urged the government to allow night markets to operate, as night market traders are among those who are struggling the most during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The PKR communications director said in a Facebook post that he had received multiple calls from night market traders who shared their discontent on the ruling that farmers’ markets (pasar tani) are allowed to operate, but not night markets.

Fahmi argued that if the reason for the inoperation of night markets is the number of patrons or traders, then the government should reimplement SOPs for night markets which were allowed to open during the conditional movement control order (CMCO) — but with a reduced number of traders and restricted entry for the public.

On January 23, Malay daily Harian Metro reported that night market traders are among the group of business owners who face an increased risk of folding if they are not allowed to operate during MCO 2.0