KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 19 — All members of parliament (MPs) are allowed to continue to work during the movement control order (MCO) as long as they adhere to the rules and regulations in place, senior minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.

Commenting on news reports that several VIPs including a Perikatan Nasional (PN) deputy minister and senior politicians had shared a meal together during an event, Ismail Sabri once again said that the police will act on the reports that have been lodged.

He said anyone found to be flaunting the law will be punished by the police.

“MPs are in the group allowed to work similar to other government agencies like the police, army and so on.

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“These MPs need to look after their constituencies and they need to be on the ground but they must do so while following the rules stated under the MCO,” Ismail said during his daily security briefings on Covid-19.

“They can’t be having big events or when they want to offer aid to the people they cannot organise mass gatherings and eating sessions. In fact, they don’t even need an entourage.

“Two to three people max to help distribute food or whatever else they need.”

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Yesterday viral posts comprising photos of political party leaders at a gathering have led to widespread criticism on social media.

They purportedly showed a deputy minister, Perak exco Razman Zakaria and their entourage distributing provisions and eating together with a group of people at a tahfiz school in Perak.

Ismail said all MPs have been given the notice of what the standard operating procedures (SOPs) are during the MCO and should be well aware of what they can and cannot do.

“As we have mentioned before the best way is to use the designated frontliners like RELA and the army if they want to distribute aid.

“I understand that there’s the issue of our VIP going viral for what he’d done. I assure you no one is immune from the law and there is no different treatment for MPs or ADUNs,” said Ismail.

“If it may please you to know, the police have already called up the individuals in question to take their statements and I will leave the next course of action to them.”