Govt mulling over compulsory use of face masks in public areas, says PM (updated)

PETALING JAYA: The government is considering making it compulsory for people to use face masks in public places, with details to be announced soon once they are finalised, says the Prime Minister.

Showing clear concern that some have begun to throw caution to the wind, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the battle with Covid-19 is far from over and reminded Malaysians to follow safety measures such as using face masks, practising good hand hygiene and social distancing.

“The government is considering making it compulsory to wear face masks in public places.

“Details on this will be announced when the relevant rules have been finalised by the government, ” he said during a special address on Monday (July 20).

He expressed concern over the rise of new clusters, saying that 13 new clusters have emerged during the recovery movement control order (MCO).

“For example, the Kuala Lumpur restaurant cluster among workers which were reported since July 6 and the Stutong cluster which started since July 18.

“Besides that, since July 7, there were four new clusters detected from those who returned from abroad which include a cluster in Sarawak (three cases), Melaka (five cases), Terengganu (three cases) and Kuala Lumpur (two cases).

“What worries me more is that Covid-19 positive cases have returned to double digits since a few days ago, ” he said.

Muhyiddin added that if necessary, the government will place Malaysians who had just returned from overseas at quarantine centres in order to control imported cases more effectively.

Law enforcement will also be beefed up with heavier penalties imposed on those found to be flouting the laws and regulations, he said.

Muhyiddin warned that if cases spiked and Malaysia had to go back into a stricter MCO, the country stood to lose RM2bil daily and millions of Malaysians would lose their source of income.

“We had just witnessed the positive impact from the government’s strict measures and the people’s high discipline throughout the enforcement of the MCO.

“Our national economy has also started to pick up and we are getting to enjoy our lives by practising the new normal.

“However, let us not be careless and negligent. I want to again remind all of you that the Covid-19 pandemic is not yet over.

“So let us all persevere in our efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, ” he said.

Teks Ucapan YAB Tan Sri Dato' Haji Muhyiddin Bin Haji Mohd Yassin, Perdana Menteri Malaysia. Perkembangan Terkini Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan Pemulihan (PKPP) Posted by Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday, July 20, 2020