Alert police if neighbours flout Aidilfitri SOPs - Perlis police chief

KANGAR: Members of the public should play their role by keeping an eye on their neighbourhoods, and alerting the police if anyone returns without the permission of the authorities, said Perlis police chief, Datuk Surina Saad.

She said that the information was needed to enable the police to take firm action against those individuals who were still being obstinate in not complying with the 2021 Aidilfitri Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

"Other than public tip-offs, the police will also increase the number of compliance teams, and will take stringent action against individuals, including in housing areas.

"This is to ensure that there is no flouting of SOPs, including tightening supervision on the borders of the state, bus stations and railway stations," she said when contacted by Bernama today.

She urged the public to comply with the Aidilfitri SOPs set by the government, and stay at home unless they had important business to deal with.

She said that the SOP compliance rate in Perlis was high, at 98 per cent, and she hoped that the public would continue to comply, to maintain Perlis as a green state and subsequently sever the COVID-19 infection chain in the country.

Commenting on the high number of vehicles in Perlis for the past several days, she said that it was not serious, being only five per cent higher than normal.

"The hike was caused by parents fetching their children home for Aidilfitri from institutions of higher learning (IPT) in the state, while many people from Kedah are working in Perlis," she said.

Meanwhile, Kangar district police chief, Supt Wari Kiew, said that the police would conduct Aidilfitri SOP compliance comprehensively in the district from today.

"We will go all out during Hari Raya, including conducting house-to-house patrols, to ensure the public comply with the SOPs set.

"We hope that the public will continue to cooperate with the police to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state," he added.

--BERNAMA