Op Patuh to continue, with focus on Langkawi tourism bubble - Hamzah

PUTRAJAYA: The Op Patuh on standard operating procedure (SOP) compliance will be continued with specific focus on the implementation of the Langkawi Tourism Bubble, before it is extended to other tourist destinations, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

He said this is to ensure that the pilot travel bubble in Langkawi will be a success and give a positive impact to the country's tourism sector.

"Since Op Patuh was launched in June this year, more than one million inspections have been conducted throughout the country, including on 178,266 factories, 79,974 building sites, 1.5 million business premises and 24,967 hostels.

"Out of this number, 7,410 compound notices were issued and 4,440 premises ordered to close," he told a special press conference on enforcement and compliance of SOP at the Home Ministry Complex here today.

Hamzah said the COVID-19 SOP Enforcement and Compliance Coordination Committee (JKPS) meeting had decided to continue with the enforcement action on SOP compliance in an integrated manner through Op Patuh.

This would ensure that no quarters take a light view of SOP compliance at a time when the country is moving towards the endemic phase of COVID-19, he said.

Hamzah said JKPS viewed seriously the MySejahtera mobility analysis report which showed that 523 check-ins were detected among COVID-19 patients under the Home Surveillance Order (HSO).

"According to the data obtained, 18 per cent of the cases were detected at supermarkets. JKPS has asked the Health Ministry to extend information on HSO violation on a real-time basis to the police for the purpose of enforcement in the field," he said.

Hamzah said this would enable authorities like police to immediately deploy personnel to the identified location for the purpose of enforcement based on existing laws.

Legal action can also be taken against owners of premises found to have allowed the HSO violators to enter their places, he said.

-- BERNAMA