KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 — The police yesterday caught 512 individuals breaking the recovery movement control order (RMCO), with more than half of them being nabbed over their activities at pubs or nightclubs, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.
In a statement today, Ismail Sabri said the 512 individuals comprised 452 individuals who were issued compounds, while 59 were remanded and one on bail.
When listing down the types of MCO breaches the 512 individuals were nabbed over, Ismail Sabri said these include 294 individuals who were nabbed over activities in pubs or nightclubs, followed by 103 over activities where big attendance made physical distancing difficult, private parties with 56 nabbed, failing to provide the necessary equipment or recording the entry and exit of patrons at 32, and not wearing face masks (14).
Eight were nabbed for operating premises beyond operating hours, four over suspicion of prostitution activities and one for failure to obey the order to be under quarantine during the recovery movement control order.
Ismail Sabri also said the police-led taskforce to monitor and enforce compliance of standard operating procedures (SOP) during the RMCO had yesterday carried out 58,393 inspections, including on 5,405 restaurants, 3,989 supermarkets, 3,860 banks, 1,331 traders, 1,146 factories, 663 government offices, as well as 1,146 land transport terminals, 211 water transport terminals, 108 air transport terminals.
As for ongoing enforcement of tight border controls to avoid illegal immigrants slipping in and to avoid the spread of Covid-19, Ismail Sabri said the authorities yesterday arrested 80 illegal immigrants, six smugglers and one tekong or fishing boat skipper.
Those arrested include 20 illegal immigrants who were detained by the Malaysian Armed Forces at Sungai Nipah Haji Dorani in Sungai Besar, Selangor for not having valid personal identification papers, he said.
“The government will take firm action against anyone who tries to enter the country’s borders illegally and the enforcement agencies will continue to tighten control of the border areas especially at lorong-lorong tikus (rat lines),” he said.
As for overseas returnees, Ismail Sabri said a total of 28,063 individuals had during July 24 to September 12 returned to Malaysia and were placed in 69 hotels and eight other premises in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Johor, Sarawak, Kelantan, Perak, Kedah, Perlis, Terengganu, Sabah and Labuan.
Out of the 28,063 returnees, 10,187 are still undergoing mandatory quarantine, 69 were sent to the hospitals for treatment and 17,807 were discharged and allowed to return home, he said.
The 28,063 returnees to Malaysia are from 32 locations, namely the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, India, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Turkey, South Korea, Iran, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Timor Leste, Taiwan, China, UK, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Egypt, Spain, France, Australia, New Zealand and the US, he said.
