Declining trend in MCO defiers - Ismail Sabri

The number of people arrested for defying the Movement Control Order (MCO) is showing a declining trend, with only 386 individuals detained yesterday compared with 550 people the previous day.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster), Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government hoped that the declining trend in the arrest of MCO defiers would continue.

“I would like to say thank you to the people for having realised the need to comply with all regulations on MCO.

"Thank you also to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) and all agencies involved in ensuring public compliance to the MCO,” he told a daily media conference on MCO here today.

Ismail Sabri said, out of the 386 individuals detained yesterday, 332 of them were in remand and 54 released on police bail.

He said 649 individuals were also charged in court yesterday for the offence, bringing the total number of MCO defiers until yesterday to 19,434 people.

Ismail Sabri also said that as of yesterday, the PDRM, together with ATM, had mounted 830 roadblocks nationwide and inspected 537,320 vehicles.

“A total of 40,892 surprise checks have been conducted nationwide with 5,817 premises being inspected by the authorities," he added.]

In another development, Ismail Sabri said 11 of the 13 temporary prisons, which had been gazetted as detention centres for MCO defiers, had begun operation.

“So far, 58 individuals who were sentenced to imprisonment by the court for defying MCO have been sent to the temporary prison,” he added.

On the public sanitation exercise, he said 128 sanitation operations were conducted yesterday, covering 38 red and yellow zones in 11 states, including 31 areas in Johor and 31 in Perak, involving six government buildings, 135 public places, 107 business centres and 103 residential areas, which also involved the People's Housing Project (PPR).

OveralI, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government has conducted 4,064 sanitation operations in 126 zones, including 13 red zones, since last March 30.

A total of 7,930 government buildings, business premises and public areas were sanitised during the period. - BERNAMA