KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — As the numbers of policemen infected with Covid-19 increases, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh today pressed Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin to take immediate action to improve the facilities and welfare of our men in blue.
In a statement this morning, Yeoh said efforts must be put in place to ensure police work stations and their housing facilities, most of which is shared with their immediate families, are adequate and not congested.
She also questioned if current police work stations were conducive enough to promote the practice of physical distancing.
“Can our policemen practically apply the Covid-19 SOP by practising social distancing in their current workstation?
“Many police stations and their housing quarters are found wanting,” Yeoh said.
The DAP leader urged Hamzah to play his part in ensuring these frontlines are prepared and equipped with proper protective gear to carry out their duties during the pandemic including thermal scanners, face masks, and hand sanitisers.
Yeoh was referring to a report by The Malaysian Insight that said a total of 147 policemen have been infected with Covid-19.
Most of these infections were from the Baiduri Covid-19 cluster detected in Cheras by the Health Ministry on October 7.
The report also noted that those infected include 106 of their family members and 10 more civil servants.
Most of these infections were reported in the capital, with 36 total infections related to the Kuala Lumpur State Police Contingent, while another 19 positive cases in Cheras police district headquarters.
Malaysia yesterday recorded 589 new Covid-19 infections with a total of 18,129 cases, as four new clusters and three new deaths were also reported.
