KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 213 compounds have been issued on factories and business premises for violating the standard operating procedure (SOP) of Phase One of the Movement Control under the National Recovery Plan (PPN), in a compliance operation (Ops Patuh) conducted nationwide, yesterday.

Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said over 19,000 factories and business premises were inspected during the integrated operation, involving 26,504 officers and personnel from various enforcement agencies on SOP compliance, led by the Royal Malaysia Police.

"Meanwhile inspection by enforcement teams at the sites found many premises which obtained permission to operate, were not operating during Op Patuh yesterday," he said during Op Patuh special press conference at Home Affairs Ministry Complex (KDN) here, today.

Hamzah said the enforcement teams had identified the premises and would conduct further investigations periodically on the suspicious premises.

"This is because there were factories and premises which were closed on the operation day and they are probably opened on normal days," he said, adding that nine factories were ordered to be closed for violating SOP.

He said it was also discovered that several factories were operating by adhering to the SOP and have adopted the best practice to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

Hamzah said the ministry would continue to coordinate Op Patuh in a large scale simultaneously (nationwide) in the enforcement of National Recovery Plan to contain COVID-19 transmission in the country, especially among workers in the economic sectors which were allowed operation.

Present were Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani and his deputy Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim, as well as Immigration director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud.

-- BERNAMA