Get new travel permits immediately - Police

KOTA BHARU: Many people in Kelantan are still using old travel permits to pass through roadblocks set up following the implementation of the total lockdown yesterday, said state police chief Datuk Shafien Mamat.

"For the first two or three days, we will be flexible because we know there are still some ministries or government agencies that do not have the time to issue official letters.

"But, my hope is that, after this, all those passing through roadblocks will carry new travel permits because we will start tightening inspections," he told reporters after monitoring Pasar Siti Khadijah, Pasaraya Lotus and roadblocks at Pasir Pekan in Lembah Sireh, here, today.

Shafien said 24 static roadblocks and 25 mobile or 'snap roadblocks' were set up yesterday and these would be carried out statewide for a period of one to two hours, especially at night so as to curb unnecessary movement.

In KEDAH, a total of 76 compounds were issued to individuals in the state for violating the standard operating procedure (SOP) of the total lockdown.

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Kedah Deputy Police chief Datuk Mohd Roze Shaari said the most common offences were not observing physical distancing and not wearing face masks, with 21 compounds issued on May 31 and 55 yesterday.

"This shows that police are taking firm action without compromise following the implementation of the total lockdown," he told reporters today.

He said that continuous monitoring of SOP violation would be carried out in government and private offices as well as in houses of worship.

He added that for houses of worship, especially mosques and surau in the state, monitoring would be done during prayer times such as Subuh, Maghrib and Isyak to detect if any religious activities are being conducted.

"A certain number of people are allowed to go to the mosque or surau, so the monitoring will be done to ensure that there is no SOP violation. So far, there have been no cases of mass gatherings involving religious activities in Kedah and we do not want things that happen in other states to occur here," he said.

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In MELAKA, a total of 24 compounds were issued for SOP violation within 24 hours of the implementation of the total lockdown yesterday.

Melaka Police chief Datuk Abdul Majid Mohd Ali said seven of them were compounded for leaving their houses without an acceptable excuse and for not wearing face masks when in public.

"We also noticed that the number of vehicles on the road decreased by 60 per cent to about 18,000 vehicles compared to before the MCO (Movement Control Order).

"A total of 48 vehicles were also ordered to turn back for giving lame excuses, such as wanting to buy necessities at locations that are more than 10 kilometres from their residence," he told reporters at a press conference today.

In PORT DICKSON, some are still complacent and refuse to comply with the SOP by not wearing face masks in public places despite the total lockdown.

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Port Dickson District Police chief Supt Aidi Sham Mohamed said one of the most common excuses was either they forgot to wear or they had left the face mask in the car.

"It is an unacceptable excuse and we will continue to issue compounds to those who are still stubborn and disobey the SOP," he told reporters after monitoring SOP compliance at a supermarket here today.

According to him, police compounded 14 individuals yesterday for not wearing face masks as well as for failing to scan the MySejahtera QR code.

In BUTTERWORTH, a helmet-making factory in Jalan Murni, Sungai Dua here was compounded RM10,000 today for declaring itself as a factory manufacturing gloves and face masks.

Seberang Perai Utara Police chief ACP Noorzainy Mohd Noor said that during the 11 am inspection, they found that the management of the factory was operating on the pretext of manufacturing gloves and face masks and with a permit to operate from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI).

"Acting on the information and intelligence carried out, we conducted an inspection and found that the factory had cheated by declaring that it was a medical manufacturer in order to obtain a permit to operate during the total lockdown period," he said when contacted today.

He said the factory owner was compounded RM10,000 and the factory was also ordered to close by MITI.

-- BERNAMA