Transition to endemic phase; 30,000 community ambassadors will ensure high SOP compliance - Annuar

Some 30,000 Duta Komuniti (Community Ambassadors) will be appointed to play a role in ensuring a high level of compliance with standard operating procedures (SOP) by the public during the country's transition period to the endemic phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the Cabinet at its last meeting had agreed for his ministry (KKMM) to work with several other ministries to set up the programme.

"This programme will be launched in Perlis at the end of this month and about 30,000 community ambassadors will be appointed who will play a friendly role regarding the matter (getting the public to comply with the SOP). Details of this programme will be given from time to time," he said when winding up debate on the motion of thanks for the Royal address for his ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today.

The transition to the endemic phase starts April 1.

Regarding violation of SOP during the RIUH EK Program! in Ayer Hitam, Johor recently, Annuar said what occurred was not part of the programme's agenda and it happened after he had left when the event ended.

"After that, there was a spontaneous action of a group of young people doing the joget lambak (a traditional Malay dance) and clearly violated the SOP. Action was taken by RELA (People's Volunteer Corps) at that time to control the situation and it became viral (on social media). Thereafter further action was handed over to the police," he said.

Annuar said he himself had also called on the organisers to warn that there should be no breach of the SOP.

Earlier, Annuar had also informed the House that henceforth the Malay acronym KKMM for the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia would be K-KOMM, while the minister will be referred to as MENKOM.

-- BERNAMA