KUALA LUMPUR – The government is enforcing the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) in six states beginning Saturday, following a spike in Covid-19 infections in the affected areas.
Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the EMCO will be imposed in 15 sub-districts in Besut, Terengganu, four sub-districts in Perak, one locality in Pahang, two localities in Kelantan, five localities in Sabah, and one locality in Sarawak.
The EMCO in these areas, he said, will be enforced until June 4.
Ismail Sabri said in Terengganu, the EMCO will be imposed in Kg Raja, Keluang, Lubuk Kawah, Bukit Kenak, Pelagat, Jabi, Tembila, Kerandang, Bukit Puteri, Pengkalan Nangka, Kuala Besut, Pasir Akar, Kubang Bemban, Tenang and Hulu Besut.
He added that the Health Ministry confirmed that nine out of 17 clusters active in Terengganu involved Besut, directly contributing to the increase in Covid-19 cases in the state with high infection rates in the community.
“The implementation of the EMCO is to control the movement of residents in all sub-districts and prevent the spread of Covid-19 infections to other communities.”
The minister said in Pahang, the EMCO will be enforced in the Rumah Banjir Kuala Teh in Jerantut following the detection of eight positive cases there from a total of 22 screenings, resulting in 36.6% of tests returning positive.
For Kelantan, Ismail Sabri said the order will be applied in Kg Terusan, in the Limbat sub-district of Pasir Tumboh, in Kota Baru, after 48 cases were found.
Another locality in Kelantan, Kepulauan Tumpat, in the Sg Pinang sub-district in Tumpat, will be put under EMCO after 22 cases were found in Teluk Renjuna (11), Pantai Hj Nik Mat (6), Pulau Beluru (4) and Pantai Suri (1).
Ismail Sabri said the Health Ministry found the rate of positive tests there at 27.5%.
He added that the EMCO will be enforced in four sub-districts in Perak that are Pengkalan Hulu in Hulu Perak, Taiping in the Larut, Matang and Selama districts, Hulu Kinta covering Ipoh, Lahat, Chemor and Tanjong Rambutan in Kinta, as well as the Hulu Bernam Timur sub-districts in Muallim.
The EMCO in these Perak areas came following the 119.3% increase in cases in the state in the span of two weeks from May 5 until May 18. Perak saw 2,035 cases recorded in the state during that period compared to 928 cases from April 12 until May 4, which involved the four sub-districts, he said.
In Sabah, Ismail Sabri said the EMCO will be implemented in Kg Idani, Semporna, Kg Pisang in Tawau, as well as Kg Getah, Kg Getah Tengah and Taman Kunak Jaya in Kunak.
He said nine cases were found in Kg Idani, followed by 12 in Kg Pisang, as well as seven in Kg Getah, Kg Getah Tengah and Taman Kunak Jaya in Kunak.
Ismail Sabri said the EMCO will be imposed in Kg Boyan in Kuching after 34 cases were recorded among 171 screenings by the ministry.
Meanwhile, the senior minister said the EMCO in seven localities in Sempalit in Raub, Pahang, which was scheduled to end on May 21 will be extended from May 22 until June 4.
He said the localities in Sempalit involved Kampung Baru Sempalit, Taman Sempalit Aman, Taman Emas Baru, Taman Sempalit Indah, Taman Sempalit Jaya, Taman Sempalit Baru and Taman Emas which had 22 infections recently.
Another 16 localities in Sg Ruan, Raub in Pahang have also had the EMCO extended until June 4 after 153 new cases.
The localities consisted of Taman Dahlia, Taman Cempaka, Taman Mawar, Taman Melor, Taman KSM Sungai Ruan, Taman Bunga Matahari, Taman Mawar Impian, Taman Orkid, Taman Bunga Raya, Taman Koperasi Mewah, Taman Bunga Tanjung, Rumah Murah Sg Ruan, Taman Sg Ruan, Taman Melewar, Taman Bunga Angsana and Kg Baru Sg Ruan.
The EMCO was also extended until June 3 in Sekolah Menegah Ugama Pantai Manis in Papar, Sabah after 61 new cases were detected recently, Ismail Sabri said. Previously, the movement restrictions were scheduled to end on May 20.
Conversely, Ismail Sabri said the EMCO implemented on Sekolah Sukan Tunku Mahkota Ismail in Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi, Johor, will be lifted as scheduled on May 21.
He said throughout the duration of the EMCO there, the Health ministry had detected 192 positive cases out of 367 screened.
“The Health Ministry had also confirmed the trend of cases decreasing that the cluster is under control, while all positive cases have been treated,” Ismail said.
On the compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs), Ismail Sabri said 495 individuals were arrested for several offences. From the total, he said 468 were issued compounds while 27 were remanded.
He said 143 of them failed to record their details when entering premises, followed by failure to wear masks (126), failure to comply with movement restrictions (84), failure to observe social distancing (47), socialising at entertainment centres (15), crossing state or district lines (8), and others (72).
Ismail Sabri also said 29 undocumented people were detained yesterday while 8 land vehicles were seized in Ops Benteng. – The Vibes, May 20, 2021
