PUTRAJAYA – Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today urged enforcement agencies to adopt a more prudent approach in ensuring compliance with Covid-19 prevention standard operating procedures.
He said firmness was important to ensure the rules were adhered to, but there should be discretion and humanity in actions taken within the scope of the law, so that efforts to educate the community would be more acceptable.
Muhyiddin said he understood and sympathised with the difficulties of the people in finding income to ensure their survival amid the pandemic, including that of those trying to run small businesses like selling burgers, snacks, drinks, or agricultural produce.
“These people are not owners of large companies or business establishments, but are only licence holders running their own businesses on a small scale.
“So even if we want to take action for violating the SOPs and rules, we should be considerate. Impose a compound but at a reasonable rate,” he said when launching the Covid-19 Green Zone Community Competition here today
It was reported that several traders in Kelantan, including a burger seller, were fined RM50,000 after allegedly operating beyond the permitted hours of the movement control order there.
Muhyiddin said apart from continuous monitoring and control by enforcement agencies, the community also had an important role to play in ensuring that the public complied with SOPs such as wearing face masks, maintaining physical distancing, and avoiding crowded and cramped places.
“New variants of this virus are spreading faster and having a worse effect, seeing a more drastic increase in cases in some countries. We definitely want to prevent the spread of these new variants in our country,” he said.
Muhyiddin said the government was taking strict steps to curb the spread of Covid-19 with national border controls being tightened by banning visitors from countries affected by the new Covid-19 variants, besides taking stern action against individuals violating mandatory quarantine directives.
“Strict action by the government alone is not enough. What is more important is that the people have high awareness and comply with all rules and SOPs set by the government in order to protect the public from the dangers of this virus,” he said.
Muhyiddin underscored that community leaders must also understand and be sensitive to all the SOPs that have been set, depending on the movement control orders in force in their respective areas.
“Take note of programmes or events to be held by the residents in your villages or housing estates, and make sure that the organisation of the programme or event strictly complies with the SOPs set,” he said. – Bernama, April 28, 2021
