KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 — Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador said the police have identified up to 7,671 attendees of the tabligh at Masjid Jamek in Sri Petaling and are comparing them to a list provided by the Health Ministry.
He said the list consists of tabligh members who underwent the Covid-19 screening procedure, which will assist the police in identifying who has already been screened.
“A special police task force (pasukan khas) is dedicated to tracking down the remaining members of the Sri Petaling tabligh, aided by information provided by the public,” Abdul Hamid said during an interview on Astro Awani.
In some instances, members of the public have contacted the police claiming they suspect their neighbours may have attended the tabligh and not come forward for screening.
“We are aiming to cover up to 100 per cent of the tabligh attendees, so if necessary we will force those who refuse to leave their homes or do not cooperate to go for treatment,” he said.
Similarly with the general public, although Abdul Hamid praised the overall adherence to the ongoing Movement Control Order which he said was up to 90 per cent, he nonetheless reiterated the importance of staying at home.
“Consider your home as a fortress which will protect you. Only leave it when absolutely necessary or without a choice, such as to purchase food, medication or a health emergency unrelated to Covid-19.
“For health emergencies, exceptions may be made for two or even three people to accompany the patient to the hospital if he or she cannot drive themselves. But a proper explanation must be given to police officers when stopped at roadblocks, who in turn will use their discretion to deal with the situation as they see fit,” he said.
The tabligh, which ran from February 27 to March 1, was attended by over 15,000 participants. Three of the four Covid-19 casualties were traced back to the tabligh cluster. Malaysia still has the highest number of Covid-19 cases in South-east Asia, with 1,183 infections and six deaths to date.
