Federal territories minister Annuar Musa, in a tweet, said the National Security Council and health ministry were currently assessing the pros and cons of allowing food and beverage establishments to operate until 10pm.

“Any developments will be announced by (senior minister for security) Ismail Sabri Yaakob,” he said.

Under the current MCO standard operating procedures (SOPs), food and beverage outlets can only operate from 6am to 8pm. Patrons are not allowed to dine in and only “takeaways”, drive-throughs, or doorstep delivery are allowed.

The Malaysia Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors’ General Association (MSCSPGA) welcomed the government’s plan to consider allowing eateries to open until 10pm.

However, MSCSPGA president Ho Su Mong called on the government to also allow dining-in, with two diners per table, to help sustain their businesses.

“Extending the hours is always good for us, but we would like to appeal for them to reconsider our request to allow customers to dine-in, under strict SOPs,” he said.

“Just depending on takeaways and deliveries will not be sufficient to cover the expenses of coffee shops and eateries. We ask for them to allow a maximum of two diners to a table, nothing more than that,” he said.

Yesterday, a group of 21 opposition MPs called on Putrajaya to review the operation hours for these outlets, arguing that they should be allowed to open until the stipulated time in their respective licences.

The group also called for a moratorium on bank loans to be extended for another six months, as the shortened operating hours had affected the income of those who ran such businesses.