KUALA LUMPUR (BLOOMBERG, THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Malaysia will exempt as many as 10 per cent of workers in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan, and the Selangor and Sabah states, from its work-from-home order, Trade Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali said in a statement Wednesday (Oct 21).

The exemption covers those whose job scope involve accounting, finance, administration, law, planning and ICT.

These workers may stay in their office only from 10am to 2pm, three days a week. Employers must issue travel exemption letters for staff who fall under these categories.

Companies need not make applications for their staff.

Malaysia is battling its third wave of coronavirus infections. Daily cases have stayed above 800 a day in the last four days, with 862 cases logged on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, only 30 per cent of civil servants are allowed to work from offices from Thursday until the end of the conditional movement control order (MCO) next Tuesday, said Public Service Department director-general Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman.

He said the decision was made to ensure that the services at the respective agencies will not be affected and can continue to be accessed by the public based on the respective ministries, agencies and departments' customers charter.

"The directive to work from home exclude those providing the service delivery of essential services which is determined by the head of departments in line with the government circular letter dated March 17," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

Senior Minister (Security cluster) Ismail Sabri Yaakob has said about one million workers in both private and government sectors in the three federal territories along with Selangor and Sabah, will be affected by the order.

Tan Sri Khairul said all face-to-face activities in the civil service departments including meetings, discussions or trainings are to be done online during the period.