KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — The Youth and Sports Ministry today issued the full standard operating procedures for gyms, commercial football fields, futsal courts and commercial badminton courts in the Klang Valley to comply with when they reopen for business tomorrow onwards.
Previously barred from operating during the ongoing two-week conditional movement control order (CMCO) imposed on Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor since October 14, the government yesterday said that such facilities would be allowed to operate again from tomorrow, following an appeal from the Youth and Sports Ministry.
Today, the ministry reiterated the common rule of non-contact sports being allowed in the Klang Valley during the CMCO period with figures not exceeding 10 individuals, before laying down the rules for gyms, commercial football fields, futsal courts and commercial badminton courts in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor.
The operators of all such facilities have to ensure that customers maintain a physical distance of one to three metres for static activities, and three to five metres for dynamic activities, the ministry said in a list of frequently asked questions today.
For the operators of multipurpose sport centres that feature gyms, badminton courts and indoor futsal courts, they are allowed to operate from 6am to 10pm during the CMCO and subject to the operating licence from the respective local councils, the ministry said.
For gyms and badminton courts, the capacity for the usage of the facilities will be subject to the size of the facilities, again with the requirement to ensure physical distancing depending on whether it is a static or dynamic activity and with the need to comply with previous rules such as a ban on equipment sharing, frequent sanitisation of equipment, and scheduling of slots to control the number of users at any one time.
In the same list of FAQs today, the ministry said the public can play badminton as a form of training without contact with each other in opposing courts.
As for gyms with a separate studio space, fitness classes are allowed in the studio based on the size of the facility without involving any activities with physical contact, with the physical distance of between one to three metres to be maintained for static activities, and between three to five metres for dynamic activities.
The ministry said gyms at locations such as serviced apartments can be used by its residents and tenants starting from tomorrow, but again with the previous rules such as frequent sanitisation and scheduling of slots to be practiced, as well as the physical distancing rules for static and dynamic activities.
For football and futsal facilities, the ministry stressed that these are limited to usage for training purposes with no physical contact and with a maximum of 10 individuals allowed and with the physical distancing rules to be complied with, while operators are required to schedule such trainings to limit usage to only 10 persons at any one time.
Citing the example of a facility having four synthetic fields for example, the ministry again stressed that the usage is for a maximum of 10 persons at any one time according to small groups and subject to the size of each field with all fields to be used for training only.
What about the rest?
During the CMCO period, all other indoor sports facilities such as bowling, snooker, extreme parks, archery centres and wall climbing are still not allowed in the Klang Valley, the ministry said.
“However, the Youth and Sports Ministry is always caring and will take the necessary steps depending on the situation from time to time,” it said.
According to the ministry, its list of SOP for the sports and recreation sector under CMCO applies only to Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor, while rules for sports and recreation in Sabah — which is also under CMCO — will be subject to Sabah’s state authorities.
Among other things, the ministry said sports contests such as football matches, sports involving teams or physical contact, swimming pools, sauna and jacuzzis are still disallowed in the Klang Valley during the CMCO period.
E-sports are allowed during the CMCO as participants carry out such activities at their own homes, while exercise within the house’s compound either alone or with individuals living in the same home is allowed.
Cycling is also allowed if carried out by an individual or not more than 10 persons in an open space within the same district of their residence during the CMCO, while aerobic exercises are allowed in small groups not exceeding 10 persons and with physical distancing rules for static and dynamic activities to be complied with.
