Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said those who can afford to be placed in the identified five-star hotels will have to foot the bill.

“The guests have to pay,” he said at a press conference in Putrajaya.

Earlier today, Defence Minister Ismail Sabri said the government would pay up to RM150 in subsidy per room for hotels which are three-star and below, while those wanting to stay at high-end hotels should “pay on their own”.

Meanwhile, Hisham requested Malaysians in Singapore to remain in the republic for the next two weeks.

He said they were discussing with Singaporean authorities for the employers to keep them there in Singapore

“Those who want to return to Malaysia will be screened (for Covid-19),” he said.

On Saturday, immigration officials said they were anticipating a higher number of Malaysians to return home from Singapore within the next two weeks as a month-long shutdown comes into force in the republic to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.

This came a day after Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced tighter precautionary measures, which will see workplaces, schools and pre-schools closed for a month beginning from today.

Meanwhile, Hisham said the ministry was giving itself 10 days to screen residents at the Selangor Mansion and Malayan Mansion buildings on Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur.

The two buildings were earlier today placed under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO).

“We hope to also decontaminate and sanitise the area as well.”

He also said the ministry has screened two-thirds of the residents at Simpang Renggam, Hulu Langat and Menara City One, which had earlier been also been placed under the EMCO.