Day 29: MCO enters its third phase today (April 15)

The streets of Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur are all quiet on April 14, 2020 as the nation prepares to enter the third phase of the movement control order (MCO) on April 15. – IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Phase three of the Movement Control Order (MCO) begins Wednesday (April 15), and the commitment of every Malaysian is needed to help break the chain of Covid-19 infection in the country.

It has been 29 days since the MCO was enforced on March 18, and the people should remain strong and maintain their disciplined during the third phase.

It is even more so with the fasting month of Ramadan to begin next week and the need for Muslims to adapt to the "new normal" as they are unable to go to bazaars and perform terawih prayers at mosques nationwide.

While everyone wants a return to norms normal life as soon as possible, those who remain stubborn and refuse to comply with MCO may force the entire nation to go through several more phases of MCO.

To ensure a higher level of public compliance, the government has decided that from Wednesday, those who are caught defying the MCO will be detained for legal action immediately and will not be issued compound any longer as was done during the first and second phases.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that under Section 24 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342), courts can impose a jail sentence for up to two years and up to five years for subsequent offences.

According to Ismail Sabri, the cumulative number of people detained for defying MCO as of last Monday was 9,090.

Meanwhile, on the number of Covid-19 positive cases in the country, it was 4,987 as of noon Tuesday (April 14), with a total of 82 deaths.

However, Malaysia has recorded good progress in its fight against Covid-19, with 2,478 patients fully recovered and discharged from hospitals, or 49.7% of the cumulative total of positive cases. – Bernama