The global situation is currently being shaped by COVID-19 Pandemic, and we are aware of our responsibility to contribute towards the crisis management, reducing the spread of the virus and coping with this pandemic.
On 16 March 2020, the Malaysian government had decided to implement nationwide Restriction of Movement Order beginning 18th of March until 31st of March. This order is enforced under the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 and the Police Act 1967, and encompasses the following:
- Complete restriction of movement and assembly nationwide, including religious activities, sports, social and cultural events. To enforce this restriction, all houses of worship and business premises are to be closed, except supermarkets, public markets, sundry shops and convenience stores selling essential goods.
- A complete travel restriction for all Malaysians going overseas. For Malaysians returning home, they are required to undergo health checks and voluntary self- quarantine for a period of 14 days.
- A complete restriction of foreign visitors and tourists into Malaysia.
- Closure of all kindergartens, public and private schools, including day schools and residential schools, international schools, Tahfiz centers and all other institutions of learning in primary, secondary and pre-university levels.
- Closure of all public and private institutions of higher learning nationwide, including skills training institutes.
- Closure of all government and private premises except those involved in essential services (Water, electricity, energy, telecommunications, post, transportation, irrigation, oil, gas fuel, lubricants, broadcasting, finance, banking, health, pharmacy, fire prevention, prisons, ports, airports, security, defense, cleaning, food supply & retail).
As such, our offices in Kuala Lumpur and Penang will be closed beginning 18th of March until 31st of March. The closure could be extended depending on further government instructions. We are all affected by this situation, both as private individuals and companies. It is difficult to predict how it will develop and what the short, medium and long-term effects will be. We are continuously monitoring the situation and will provide regular updates.
First and foremost, we are focused on the health and safety of our employees, their relatives and our business partners. We have already implemented measures that reduce social interactions as much as possible at all locations. We have cancelled participation at events, business trips and large internal meetings. Wherever possible, we have replaced such activities with digital communication via telephone and video conferences.
We are proactively monitoring our internal processes concerning the worsening situation and will now fully switch to work from home operations. We also take our responsibility for business continuity very seriously. We have been in close contact with our suppliers to identify possible delivery bottlenecks as a result of the first wave of closings in Asia. It can now be assumed that the global economic downturn will further worsen the situation. Adverse effects on delivery times and price developments can no longer be ruled out, and are now more likely.
It is therefore essential for us to assure you as our valued business partner that we are committed to maintaining our business activities with all options available. To facilitate business continuity, we must continue to communicate with you in a coordinated and effective manner. Please contact us, we are ready to discuss your requirements and plan for the next few weeks with you. The sooner we know your requirements, the better we can adjust our delivery capacity to support your projects. The Advance Ultravision team stands together in this challenging phase to fulfill our responsibility as part of the community and for our business partners.