207,967 Kuantan residents to be placed under EMCO from midnight tonight

KUANTAN: A total of 207,967 residents, or 90 per cent of the population in seven mukim in the Kuantan district, are involved in the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) effective at midnight tonight until June 6.

Pahang police chief, Datuk Seri Abd Jalil Hassan, said that the police would close the rat trails to Kuantan completely during the EMCO, using concrete barriers and barbed wire, including oil palm routes in Felda Neram, which are routes from Terengganu.

He said that roadblocks will be mounted in six locations on main routes into and out of the district, including at Tanjung Lumpur, Kampung Chendor, Gambang and the Pekan-Kuantan route.

"Compounds will be automatically issued to those crossing the border without permission, without compromise, because announcements on the EMCO had been made, as well as the drastic hike in cases in Kuantan.

"Other than barriers and barbed wire, teams from the mobile patrol vehicle (MPV) and motorcycle patrol unit (URB) will conduct periodical monitorings at rat trails to ensure there is no attempt to enter or leave the EMCO areas," he said when met at the Pahang police contingent headquarters (IPK) today.

EMCO-POLICE (ROUTE) 2 (LAST) KUANTAN

To ensure compliance with the EMCO's standard operating procedures (SOPs) in Kuantan, Abdul Jalil said that the leave of officers and personnel, especially at the Kuantan district police headquarters (IPD), was still frozen, although Bukit Aman had allowed leave approvals a week after Raya.

In addition, about 60 officers and personnel from the Pahang IPK had been seconded to the Kuantan IPD during the EMCO, as the authorities required a 300-strong force daily for various assignments pertaining to SOP compliance.

Police officers and personnel made up the largest number on duty, above the Malaysian Armed Forces, Malaysia Civil Defence Force (APM), People's Volunteer Corps (RELA), local authorities, health department personnel and others.

"The community may view assignments at roadblocks lightly, whilst the officers and personnel must stand for two hours to check every vehicle before being replaced, with every shift running for eight hours. So, I appeal to the people to help us by complying with the SOPs,'' he said.

Abd Jalil also reminded the residents of five housing areas in Gau, Temerloh, which will also be placed under the EMCO from midnight tonight, not to leave their houses prior to the EMCO coming into force, taking a lesson from the experience of EMCO at Taman Tanah Putih Baru, here, on May 5.

During the EMCO in Taman Tanah Putih Baru on May 5, the authorities found that almost 200 residents had 'disappeared', such that the state government had to 'appeal' for them to return for a free screening test.

"This time around, the police will not compromise. Those detected to have left their house to avoid the EMCO will be compounded even if they return home to surrender to the police, as opposed to just receiving a warning (like we did) to some errant residents of Taman Tanah Putih Baru previously," he added.

-- BERNAMA