KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — The number of people flouting the movement control order (MCO) continues to be high for more than 150 days since it was enforced, with 86 individuals arrested just yesterday alone, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.

Nine individuals are now under police custody while the remaining 77 were compounded for various types of violations of the order, which is now in its recovery MCO phase.

Ismail said the compliance task force led by the police conducted close to 58,000 checks nationwide yesterday, involving 11,435 enforcement personnel.

“Yesterday, PDRM had detained 86 individuals for flouting the MCO,” the minister said in a statement issued late this afternoon.

Advertisement

“From the total, 77 individuals were compounded while nine were remanded.”

Two individuals alleged to have no valid travel documents were also detained in a joint daily operation between the police, armed forces and maritime authorities.

“PDRM erected 63 roadblocks nationwide and inspected 32,279 vehicles to curb the entry of illegal immigrants, particularly through mice lanes,” the minister said.

Advertisement

“The police had arrested two foreign individuals on immigration violations.”

Meanwhile, the authorities have tightened quarantine enforcement with daily inspections on Malaysian nationals returning from abroad.

The country has seen a spike in new Covid-19 clusters in recent weeks whose sources were infected individuals who defied the mandatory two-week quarantine order.

Ismail said the authorities held 37 inspections on those under home quarantine.

“PDRM together with staff from the Ministry of Health will always conduct spot checks and monitor the movements of these individuals to ensure the (health) standard operating procedure is observed,” he said.

Over 14,300 Malaysian nationals and those with permanent residential status had returned from abroad between July 24 to August 20, the government said.