KUALA LUMPUR: Museums are gearing up for a wave of visitors following the transition into the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO).
Museums Malaysia Department director-general Datuk Kamarul Baharin A. Kasim said measures had been taken to ensure the safety of visitors and staff.
The department, which manages 20 museums nationwide, will ensure the implementation of social distancing rules in museums, as well as readying hand sanitisers at museum entrances.
He said in keeping with the new normal, all visitors would be subjected to body temperature checks and only those wearing face masks would be allowed entry.
"We are also following recommendations from the International Council of Museums (ICOM) as a guideline. There will only be one entrance and one exit to the gallery, so that we can better manage the crowd."
Kamarul said there would be a slight change to the opening hours as well. Under the new guidelines, all museums will be opened from 9am to 5pm (Tuesday to Sunday). Children under 12 years will not be permitted.
Ticket prices to museums remained unchanged.
Kamarul said the pandemic had affected businesses globally and Malaysia has not been spared. Several exhibitions and programmes scheduled for earlier this year had to be postponed as a result.
However, a number of special exhibitions have instead been lined up at Muzium Negara, including the upcoming Pameran Pandemik (Pandemic Exhibition), which encourages a better understanding towards public health and staying safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The exhibition, to be held in collaboration with the Health Ministry, will cover the history of the coronavirus pandemic. The date, however, has yet to be confirmed.
Other exhibitions in the works include Pameran Kuasa Emas (The Power of Gold Exhibition), which is expected to take place from next month to October.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that almost all economic sectors and social activities were allowed to resume in stages under the RMCO. Among the activities include visits to museums, indoor busking, self-service laundromats, as well as recreational activities such as fishing.
In addition, other activities include the reopening of morning and night markets, bazaars, food courts, food trucks and food stalls.
In Johor, Johor Heritage Foundation's media and corporate division public relations assistant director Muhammad Qaim Qays Azmi said his department had met with teams within the foundation to discuss on the SOPs ahead of the museum's opening.
"We are working to finalise the details. Once finalised, it will be up on our Facebook page.
"Do look out for promotions. It will be something very interesting for visitors."
In Penang, a spokesman from the Pinang Peranakan Mansion in Lebuh Gereja said measures were taken to rearrange some exhibits at the famous Baba Nyonya museum in order to accommodate more exhibition sections for visitors.
The Mansion had gone through a spring-cleaning during the MCO.
"We renovated some sections at the Mansion. We've also installed hand sanitisers in every corner of the Mansion so that our visitors can use them whenever they're visiting."
To entice new visitors to the museum, which was once home to the 19th century Chinese tycoon Chung Keng Quee, he said a team was preparing an interactive experience, which should be ready soon.
However, the Penang State Museum and Art Gallery in Jalan Macalister will remain closed for maintenance. Its public relations officer Siti Khadijah Abdullah said only the Penang State Art Gallery (PSAG) would be opened from June 13 onwards.
She said there would be no ticket charge for visits to PSAG, but all staff and visitors would have to follow the guidelines and SOPs.
"To better manage the crowd, PSAG will only be opened three days a week (Monday, Tuesday and Saturday).
"Ahead of the reopening, there will be a virtual curatorial walkthrough titled 'Belang Art Exhibition' on the Muzium Negeri Pulau Pinang Facebook page tomorrow (today) at 2.30pm."
In Kota Kinabalu, ahead of its opening, the Sabah Museum will be showing a series of short clips of a virtual tour of each of its gallery.
"The clips will be shown on our Facebook page and hopefully, it will entice visitors to drop by," said Sabah Museum director Arif Abd Hamid.
The Sabah Museum Department also manages other museums, such as Agnes Keith House in Sandakan, Agop Batu Tulug in Kinabatangan, Museum Tun Sakaran in Semporna, Bukit Tengkorak Archaelogical Site in Semporna and the Keningau Heritage Museum in Keningau.