KUALA LUMPUR – The government will implement the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) in two localities in Sabah from Tuesday to July 12.
Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the EMCO would be enforced in Kg Nahaba Tegudon and Kg Linau, Kota Belud following an increase in Covid-19 cases in the two localities.
He said nine positive cases were recorded as a result of 48 screening tests conducted in Kg Nahaba Tegudon, while 11 positive cases were reported from 15 screenings carried out in Kg Linau.
“The implementation of the EMCO is to facilitate the Health Ministry in conducting early detection of Covid-19 cases and prevent it spreading to the other localities,” he said in a statement today.
He said the EMCO in Kg Penimbawan, Tuaran, Sabah, which was scheduled to end tomorrow, would also be extended, running fro, Tuesday to July 12 due to the ongoing Covid-19 infections among the residents and new cases were still recorded in the village.
Ismail Sabri said during the period, the Health Ministry had conducted 1,693 screenings, of which 53 people tested positive for COVID-19.
He said that the implementation of the EMCO in five sub-zones in Labuan; Batu 3.5 Jalan Apas (Kiri) in Tawau, Kg Lebak Moyoh in Kota Belud, and Kg Tg Kapor in Kudat, Sabah; and Kg Tabuan Haji Drahman in Kuching, Sarawak, will end as scheduled at 11.59pm tomorrow.
The government has also decided to end the EMCO at 11 longhouses and SK Stalon in Tg Manis, Mukah, in Sarawak tomorrow, earlier than the scheduled date of Tuesday, after an improvement in the Covid-19 situation there.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said that a total of 798 individuals were arrested for violating the standard operating procedures yesterday with 762 of them being compounded, 24 remanded, while 12 were granted bail.
Among the highest number of offences recorded were failure to observe physical distancing with 172 cases, non-compliance with movement restrictions (119), failure to record personal details at premises (114), not wearing masks (108), carrying more than the permitted number of passengers (69) and others (216).
Over confusion about the role of security forces during the state of emergency, Ismail Sabri said there are two task forces namely the National Task Force led by the military and the Compliance Operations Task Force led by the police.
“The National Task Force, led by the military through Ops Benteng, involves the monitoring of the country’s borders along with 11 other agencies including police and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.
“As for the Compliance Operations Task Force which is led by the police and assisted by the military, the Civil Defence Force, the Malaysian Volunteer Corps Department (Rela) and local authorities, it is established to monitor SOP compliance either through roadblocks or inspections at public places,” he said.
Ismail Sabril said both were active since the first movement control (MCO) order and resumed operations after MCO 3.0 was implemented, adding that the Compliance Operations Task Force was expanded to conduct inspections on factories. – Bernama, June 27, 2021
