Approval letters to travel for work issued by MITI not valid from June 1 - Ismail Sabri

Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that, as such, applications for approval letters to travel for work must be directed to the relevant ministries.

"If they are working in the field of agriculture, they need to apply from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries.

"Senior Works Minister (Infrastructure) Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof would chair a coordination meeting regarding the matter," he said at a media conference on the implementation of the total lockdown, here, today.

The media conference was also attended by Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah , who presented his report on the COVID-19 situation in the country.

Commenting on private sector workers being forced to work by their employers although the government has decided that only 60 per cent would be allowed to work (from office) as reported in social media, Ismail Sabri said police and the Human Resources Ministry would monitor the situation.

"Drastic action must be taken against stubborn employers. I also hope that employees will report immediately if their employers violate the directive issued by the government," he said, adding that the lockdown this time was to reduce movement and the public should go out only if necessary.

He was confident that the closure of the economic sector and limiting the number of workers travelling from 15 million to just 1.5 million, coupled with the compliance of all parties with every directive issued, would help flatten the curve of COVID-19 infection.

He stressed that, at the same time, the private sector should also adhere to the government's directive so that efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 would work this time.