KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 — The second phase of the Malaysian Population and Housing Census 2020 which involves face-to-face interviews will be restructured based on three categories of the movement control order (MCO) implementation, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

DOSM's Office of the Census Commissioner 2020 said that the standard operating procedure of the Census Operations at the Malaysia Census 2020 field activities, approved by the National Security Council, will be used in the second phase of the census.

Apart from that, according to the office, face-to-face census is allowed to be carried out in the areas of ​​recovery movement control order and conditional movement control order, while it is not allowed in MCO and enhanced movement control order areas.

For disallowed areas, census information will be collected online through e-Census platform (Online Census) and phone call whichever is more appropriate.

Census 2020 Commissioner Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said all parties played an important role in jointly flattening the curve of Covid-19 cases, thus DOSM has reopened the e-Census platform.

"Based on the response received so far, a total of 8.8 million or 27.1 per cent of the estimated 32.7 million Malaysians have been recorded in the Malaysia Census 2020.

"Therefore, people who have not yet to fill out the census are urged to fill in the census information online and for those who need an ID to fill in the e-Census, can contact the Helpdesk via helpdesk.banci@dosm.gov.my or refer to the nearest State DOSM ," he said.

Meanwhile, the statement also said that Mohd Uzir who is also the DOSM chief statistician was confirmed negative for Covid-19 yesterday, through a screening test conducted by the Ministry of Health on Jan 11.

However, Mohd Uzir will continue to undergo self-quarantine until Jan 15 and the situation will not affect the DOSM administration, according to the statement. — Bernama