Roadblocks: Over 1,300 vehicles forced to make U-turns yesterday

KUANTAN: A total of 1,333 vehicles attempting interstate travel nationwide were ordered to turn back yesterday, said Bukit Aman Department of Internal Security and Public Order director Datuk Seri Abd Rahim Jaafar.

He said there were those who tried to go through the roadblocks with permission forms that did not have a signature and stamp from the police.

"Some of them were trying their luck... perhaps thinking policemen will overlook and so on," he told reporters after inspecting the roadblock in Tanjung Lumpur, here, today, which was also attended by Kuantan District Police chief ACP Mohamad Noor Yusof Ali.

He added, starting today, 361 roadblocks had been implemented following the interdistrict and interstate travel ban. The roadblocks involve more than 6,500 police personnel nationwide.

He said that through the roadblocks, police detected various tactics used, including the use work passes, to get past police roadblocks.

Asked about the actions of individuals who set fire to barriers and barbed wire erected by the police following their rage at the closure of "rat trails", he said all parties should abide by the law.

"Some are dissatisfied and take action on their own, so I urge them to please abide by the law. These steps are taken solely to break the COVID-19 chain, so people are asked to be patient," he said.

The media today reported that as a result of being angered over the closure of rat trails, some residents in Besut, Terengganu burnt police-erected barriers and barbed wire on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Abd Rahim said his team, through the daily Ops Benteng, had succeeded in thwarting the smuggling of firecrackers and fireworks into the country.

Without disclosing details of the arrests and seizures, he said, the activities not only took place along the Malaysia-Thailand border but also involved several states, including Negeri Sembilan and Johor.

-- BERNAMA