Govt to leave it to cops to act when VIPs violate MCO, says Ismail Sabri

PETALING JAYA: The government will leave it to the police to take action against VIPs said to have violated the movement control order (MCO), says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

“No one is above the law. That is the basis.

"I have been made to understand that police reports have been lodged, and we will leave it to the police to take action, ” the Senior Minister said at a press conference Saturday (April 18).

Sabri said this when asked to comment if VIPs who made visits during the MCO had violated the law. Pictures of some of these VIPs had gone “viral” on social media networks.

Among them is a deputy minister and a Perak state executive council member who were pictured having a meal at a tahfiz school in Lenggong during the movement control order.

The pictures were widely shared on Facebook pages, with netizens slamming the actions of the politicians and asking if there were different rules or standards for those in power.

Ismail, who is also Defence Minister, had previously said that MCO violators would be arrested instead of being given compound notices.

He said that as of Friday (April 17), 13,639 people had been detained for violating the MCO since it was enforced on March 18.

On Friday alone, 1,565 individuals were detained for violating the MCO, with 1,380 of them remanded and another 184 under police bail.