While the CMCO has been great and all (compared to the MCO), tomorrow we bid it farewell and welcome the all new RMCO, which is set to be in place until the end of August. This makes the RMCO the longest of the government implemented MCOs thus far.

In what is perhaps a display of a deep understanding on Malaysian culture, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced today that restaurants and food stalls may be able to operate until midnight daily from tomorrow onwards.

Given that there’s still a deadly pandemic out there, whether or not restaurants will want to take up this option remains to be seen. Given how badly businesses have been affected though, prolonged operating hours will most definitely help in achieving a sense of normalcy, even if it’s in an illusionary capacity.

Add to that the fact that Malaysians love heading out for late night bites at their nearby mamak and we’re pretty sure this news will sit well with everyone. Back when the MCO had first been implemented, a 6pm cut off time was mandatory. This was then relaxed to 8pm, and then 10pm during the CMCO.

Dine-ins were also allowed during the CMCO but still discouraged. With news of this announcement, you can expect to see a lot more people dining in at restaurants till 12am. All this being said though, Ismail has stressed that social distancing and good hygiene practices will have to continue.

Fair enough, my good sir. Fair enough!