EMCO: Barbed wires installed in three Pasir Akar villages

BESUT: The three villages in the Pasir Akar sub-district which will be placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) from tomorrow will be tightly guarded with concertina barbed wire installed and temporary barricades mounted along all 13 rat trails.

Besut district police chief, Supt Abdul Rozak Muhammad said work to install the barbed wires involving Kampung Lepan Kejor, Kampung Darau-Awek and Kampung Padang Baloh started today at 3.30 pm and was expected to be completed at 7.30 pm.

''Members of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) and the Malaysian Volunteers Department (RELA) are involved in the work to install the barbed wires this evening.

''Meanwhile, 58 personnel from the three uniformed bodies will be on duty at the localities during the EMCO which starts tomorrow until Feb 27,'' he said when inspecting the installation work in Kampung Padang Baloh, here, today.

Three existing road-blocks at the main entry gates to the localities would remain while the Motorcycle Patrol Unit (URB) would guard the rat routes.

''During the EMCO, we will not allow residents to go out of the area except in emergency cases with the permission of the district police chief but this also subject to latest directives of the National Security Council (MKN).

''The main route to Pasir Akar will be closed to all road users from 12.01 am while residents of other villages in Pasir Akar who have businesses in Jerteh must use alternative roads, namely, Jalan Kampong Oh or Jalan Padang Tapong,'' he said.

The decision to implement the EMCO at the localities was issued by Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday following a Ministry of Health (MOH) report on COVID-19 infections in the three villages.

In his statement, Ismail Sabri said 21 positive COVID-19 cases were recorded after 570 screening tests were conducted at the three localities.

-- BERNAMA