Covid-19: Government issues SOPs for agricommodity sector

12 May 2020

On 1 May 2020, the Prime Minister of Malaysia announced that all businesses except those which are set out in the List of Prohibited Activities are permitted to operate from 4 May 2020 (‘MCO Phase 4’) subject to strict compliance with the standard operating procedures (‘SOP’) established by the relevant regulatory authorities. Our earlier Alert on MCO Phase 4 is available here.

The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities had on the same day issued SOPs for the agricommodity sector (‘MPIC SOPs’).

The MPIC SOPs state that –

all businesses/ business activities under the agricommodity sector except those which are set out in the List of Prohibited Activities are permitted to operate subject to the rules by the relevant local authority;
businesses/ business activities under the agricommodity sector which are located in areas under the enhanced movement control order are not permitted to operate; and
it is mandatory for foreign workers to undergo a Covid-19 laboratory test.

The only activity relating to agricommodity which is included in the List of Prohibited Activities is the certification of agricommodity.

It should be noted that the MPIC SOPs do not include the following sectors - district farmers organisation, paddy and rice, trade and security, fisheries, agricultural, pineapple and livestock which are subject to a different set of SOP.

Our summary (in the English language) of the salient points of the MPIC SOPs is available here.

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Covid-19: Government issues SOPs for agricommodity sector