GEORGE TOWN, March 20 — The Penang state government will consider limiting hours for all businesses including food outlets and petrol stations similar to Pahang if the need arises, said Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

However, he said this should not be necessary if people strictly complied with the Movement Control Order (MCO) now in effect.

"We are open to this proposal, if there is a need, our city councils will impose limited business hours,” he said during his Facebook live message today.

Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail yesterday announced that all businesses in five Pahang districts must close from 7pm to 7am daily starting tomorrow as an additional measure to curb the Covid-19 outbreak.

In Penang, all businesses under the essential services list have remained open while all food outlets, hawker centres and roadside stalls provided take-away and delivery services throughout the day without a time limit.

Many of the hawkers and restaurants, particularly nasi kandar outlets, are open till late at night and some are open 24 hours.

Chow said the police and city council enforcement officers, under the state’s special taskforce to fight Covid-19, have been conducting strict enforcement to ensure the public adhere to the MCO.

"I found there are more roadblocks all around the state and the enforcement team has been working hard these few days,” he said.

He believed the public will adhere to the MCO especially after the federal government announced that they will rope in the army if the public still refuse to comply with the MCO.

"I feel that in Penang, the compliance is still at a satisfactory level,” he said.

The MCO was implemented on March 18 and ends on March 31 as a measure to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).

The public must remain at home during this period except to buy essential food supplies, to seek medical care or to work in industries listed under the essential services.