Meetings, seminars, training and courses can now be organised with strict adherence to standard operating procedure, including no buffet meals for participants, said Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. He said the special Cabinet committee on the COVID-19 pandemic had agreed to allow these activities to be held during the recovery movement control order period. “There is also a maximum number of 250 participants allowed to attend these events."

On June 10th, new guidelines for Expatriate/Skilled Worker/Knowledge Worker Entering Malaysia for Key Posts and Technical Posts, during the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) period. The guidelines can be viewed at the Immigration Department of Malaysia Portal. Click here to view the new guidelines. To obtain a Supporting Letter, click here for a list of Approving Agencies and Regulatory Bodies. If your company is not in any sector listed, please proceed with submission and additional supporting documents such as Letter of Agreement, expatriate's involvement in the project/task/business.

AMCHAM member Mondelez International along with Tesco Stores Sdn Bhd have successfully raised RM200,000 for underprivileged communities across the country through their customer supported initiative. Launched during Ramadan, in partnership with the Food Aid Foundation, Tesco and Mondelez’s “Tabung Kirman Ikhlas” initiative is a joint effort by the organisations to ease the burden of underprivileged communities, which have had a particularly tough time during movement control order periods.

“COVID-19 has emerged as a game-changer for digital transformation. Where previous initiatives and programmes to go digital have met with lukewarm responses, particularly from the SMEs, COVID-19 has spurred Corporate Malaysia to accelerate its digital transformation,” says Ernst & Young PLT Malaysia managing partner Abdul Rauf Rashid

The COVID-19 epidemic and the Movement Control Order have forced us all to adapt to a new way of working. AMCHAM would like to hear from you. How is your organization adjusting to the new normal, what are your recommended practices? Please share with us your best 'return to work' practices as we would like to have this information for other members on our website. For more information please contact Yvonne Miranda, our Membership & Engagement Manager at yvonne@amcham.com.my

The world’s retailers face a host of challenges. Even before the pandemic, many brick-and-mortar retailers were struggling. Now, as we emerge from the liminal space of nationwide lockdowns into new psychological and social territory, shoppers will be anxious about whether visiting stores will increase their exposure to the virus. Adding to the complexity: The United States is now officially in a recession, which will dampen consumer spending for months to come.

If you opted to turn on the location history on your Google Account, it is likely that your movement activity in the last five months has formed part of Google’s COVID-19 Community Mobility Report. Compiled by Google, these reports, which chart movement trends over time by geography, show how visits and lengths of stay at different places change compared with a baseline.