.jpg)
LAHAD DATU – Upset residents at Taman Khazanah Indah and Mutiara Kasih Apartment gathered to protest behind barbed wire fences after the government extended the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) until November 23.
As of yesterday, they have spent 28 days under EMCO.
Mutiara Kasih Apartment residents started to form a crowd at about 5.30pm yesterday.
In videos that were circulated on social media, the residents were heard chanting “Buka! Buka!”, pleading with security personnel at the entrance to open the gate.
A Taman Khazanah resident told The Vibes that a similar but smaller protest was held at the entrance of the residential area.
He said residents at both localities questioned the EMCO extension as the areas did not record any new Covid-19 cases for the past two weeks.
“This is unfair. It has been one month! How are we going to work? What are we going to feed our families now? EMCO in other areas such as Taman Semarak has ended even though they recorded new cases.
“We have complied with everything the authority instructed us to do. We stayed home. We took part in the Covid-19 screening. We demand the authorities to explain why they are extending EMCO here!”
The protests in both areas ended after Lahad Datu district police chief ACP Nasri Mansor appealed to the people to calm down two hours into the protests.
He told the residents that he will find out the reason behind the EMCO extension and provide an explanation.
He said the disaster operations control centre has proposed to end EMCO in both areas.
“The control centre will present this matter at a meeting with the National Security Council today,” he said, urging residents to stay calm and comply with the SOPs. – The Vibes, November 10, 2020
