GEORGE TOWN, March 19 ― The movement control order (MCO) may have been implemented yesterday but tourists can still be spotted suntanning and swimming in the sea off Batu Ferringhi.
Though most are spotted lounging on deck chairs within the compounds of the hotels lining the beach front, some have chosen to catch the sun on the public beach.
A couple from Switzerland, Philipp and Cornelia Kasper, who were in the Batu Ferringhi beachfront, said they had nothing else to do.
“We are spending it swimming in the sea or back in our hotel room but we won’t be swimming here again as they just released brackish water from the river into the sea,” Cornelia said.
The couple arrived in Penang three days ago and was supposed to travel to Kuala Lumpur but had to cancel their plans due to the MCO.
They will be staying on until April 7 and hoped they will be allowed to fly home then.
A check along the popular beaches along Batu Feringghi such as the stretch along Golden Sands Hotel and Hard Rock Hotel showed that all watersports activities were closed and all retail stalls selling souvenirs and beach wear were also closed.
Most parts of the beaches were deserted except for a few tourists suntanning and swimming in the sea.
Enforcement officers from the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) watersports activities unit were also stationed at eight zones along the whole Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi stretch.
MBPP watersports activities unit senior assistant enforcement officer Azhar Isahak said there are at least two enforcement officers in each zone to ensure that the MCO is adhered to.
“If we see groups of people, we will stop them from going to the beach and tell them to go home,” he said.
He said tourists who were seen along the beach were also advised to go back to their respective hotels.
The police had also set up a roadblock along Batu Ferringhi road to remind people that they should be staying home.
Some of the policemen were also patrolling the public beaches and telling tourists to go back to their hotels.
Over at Miami Beach, another popular tourist spot along the Batu Ferringhi belt, some tourists were seen swimming in the sea and suntanning on the beach.
Two of them, Melina Stehle and Emily Henkel, were unaware that they were not supposed to be outside of their hotel room.
“We think it is a very good measure that the Malaysian government is imposing to stop the spread of the virus but due to this, we have to cut our trip short and go home this Sunday,” they said.
They said if they had to spend most of the time in the hotel here, they might as well go home and spend time with their family in Germany.
The duo arrived in Penang from Kuala Lumpur just two days ago and had spent about a month in Thailand before that.
The MCO, effective from March 18 until March 31, was to stop the spread of Covid-19.
The public has been advised to stay at home except to go out for essential items such as medication and food or to go to work in companies listed under essential services.
