KUALA LUMPUR: Drones will be deployed to various locations, especially at 12 hot spots, during the movement control order (MCO) period.
The drones feature voice recordings in Malay, Mandarin and Tamil to remind people to comply with the MCO.
Armed Forces chief Jen Tan Sri Affendi Buang, who announced this, said while the drones could not cover the whole country, they would focus on the 12 hot spot areas.
“We will also target locations where people are still stubborn. We hope the use of the drones can enable a more efficient patrol and monitoring of the people during the MCO, ” he told reporters after attending a demonstration of the drone capabilities at the Brickfields district police headquarters yesterday.
Among others who attended the event were Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador and police and Armed Forces officers.
While not disclosing the exact number of the drones, Jen Affendi said some were government assets while some were lent by the local industry.
“The drones are able to record live footage. We will also be able to identify those captured in the footages.
“If and when needed, personnel will be deployed to certain locations (after footages are captured), ” he said.
The drones can operate between 40 minutes and an hour.
“At a highly populated area, it would be good enough if the drone can cover a radius of 3-5km.
“The MCO must reach its objective so that we can prevent Covid-19 from spreading. The best thing is for everyone to stay at home, ” said Jen Affendi.
On those who questioned why military personnel were armed while on duty during the MCO, he said not all personnel were armed.
“If five military personnel are deployed, only one is armed. Our enemy is not the people but Covid-19.
“I am satisfied with the deployment of my men in assisting the police to enforce the MCO, ” he said.
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