48 nabbed for defying RMCO yesterday - Ismail Sabri

The Compliance Operations Task Force, formed by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), nabbed 48 individuals for violating the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) yesterday.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said of the total, 40 individuals were remanded and eight others issued compounds.

“Some of the offences committed against the RMCO directives include reflexology or massage activities (10 persons) and activities that make it difficult to maintain social distancing (38 people),” he said in a statement today.

According to him, 67,004 inspections were carried out by the PDRM task force yesterday to monitor and enforce compliance with standard operating procedure (SOP) under the RMCO.

In addition, he said, 3,744 compliance teams comprising 16,675 personnel carried out surveillance.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said police detained 10 foreign nationals for immigration offences at 69 roadblocks conducted nationwide under ‘Ops Benteng’ and inspected 34,275 vehicles to curb the entry of illegal immigrants.

“‘Ops Benteng’ comprising the Malaysian Armed Forces, PDRM, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and the Malaysian Border Security Agency (AKSEM) are involved in the integrated control of the country’s borders to prevent entry of illegals and prevent cross-border crimes as well as to control the spread of COVID-19.

“The government will take stern action against anyone trying to enter the country illegally and enforcement agencies will continue to tighten border controls, especially in rat alleys,” he said.

On the COVID-19 public sanitation operations, he said 70 sanitation operations covering 43 zones in 11 states including Sarawak (19 operations), Melaka (14 operations) and Sabah (10 operations) were conducted during the ‘Ops Sanitasi Awam’ (Public Sanitation Operations) yesterday.

In addition, he said, 281 Malaysians had returned to the country yesterday via the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) from Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, China, Brunei, Pakistan, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

According to Ismail Sabri, of the total 278 individuals were ordered to undergo mandatory quarantine at their respective homes while three others were taken to hospital.

He also said that from June 10 to 18, the Health Ministry had screened 6,719 individuals at all the nation’s entry points.

“Of the total, 6,696 individuals tested negative for COVID-19 and are undergoing mandatory quarantine in their homes.

“Twenty-two other individuals tested positive and were sent to the hospital, while another individual was still awaiting screening results,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said enforcement officers from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry had conducted 2,287 special checks on compliance with RMCO standard operating procedures.

Ismail Sabri said the checks found 2,247 premises to be in compliance with the SOPs and 36 premises were given advice, while the four premises were issued warnings.

In the meantime, he said, an inspection by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia yesterday found 56 construction sites in compliance with SOPs, while the two construction sites failed to comply and were given warnings, while 15 construction sites were not operating.

“The cumulative number of SOP-compliant construction sites as of yesterday was 2,173 sites and 419 sites not in compliance with SOPs were given warnings.

“The CIDB enforcement team also ordered 19 construction sites to close for not complying with the SOPs,” he said.

-- BERNAMA