KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 (Sin Chew Daily) –The defense minister's office has reminded local authorities that they can only tighten, and not loosen the rules when drawing up and announcing their own SOPs related to the Movement Control Order (MCO).

Earlier, the Ampang Jaya municipal council has issued its own SOPs, allowing gyms, badminton courts, table tennis and other non-contact sport venues to operate.

Senior defense minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's press secretary told Sin Chew Daily that allowing non-contact sport venues to operate had contravened the SOPs announced by the national security council (MKN) that all sport venues must be closed during MCO.

When announcing the nationwide MCO yesterday, prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin expressly banned all sports and recreational activities during MCO, except jogging, cycling and morning exercises, on condition social distancing rules are observed.

Ismail Sabri has hoped that state and local authorities will cooperate with the federal government and MKN in implementing standardized SOPs.