Ismail Sabri: SOP review likely if cases keep rising

PUTRAJAYA: Stricter regulations may be enforced again if the public fail to follow standard operating procedures (SOP), resulting in a spike in Covid-19 cases, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob warned.

“If cases soar and the Health Ministry wants us to review the SOP, we will do so.

“For now, the ministry has not advised the National Security Council on this matter but we are not discounting it, ” he told a media briefing yesterday.

Ismail Sabri was asked if the government planned to review the SOP for conditional and recovery movement control orders, given that Covid-19 cases were on the high side in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

The government, he said, could tighten regulations again after having relaxed them, like what happened previously.

He cited, as an example, the withdrawal of permission for home quarantine for those returning from overseas.

“After several incidents of people violating the rules of home quarantine by going out or throwing away their pink wristband, the authorities then reverted to having returnees undergo mandatory quarantine at government-designated stations, ” he said.

Ismail Sabri also announced that the conditional MCO in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Sabah had been extended from Dec 31 to Jan 14 because of the upward trend in Covid-19 cases there.

“Based on the advice of the

Health Ministry, the special National Security Council meeting decided on the extension, ” he added.

In Perak, the enhanced MCO imposed on the Langkap Immigration depot and quarters in Hili Perak has also been extended to Jan 14.

However, the conditional MCO in Ipoh, Chemor and the Hulu Kinta sub-district ended yesterday ahead of schedule.

For Negri Sembilan, Ismail Sabri said the conditional MCO in Seremban has been extended to

Jan 14 while for Port Dickson, it ended yesterday.

For Johor, the conditional MCO

in Johor Baru and Batu Pahat has also been extended to Jan 14 while for Kulai, it ended yesterday, he added.

“The enhanced MCO at Kluang Prison and quarters has been extended to Jan 14, ” he said.

The conditional MCO in two sub-districts in Penang has also been extended to Jan 14.

“As of Dec 26, the number of positive cases and active clusters there was still high, ” he said.

To a question, the Senior Minister said there was no announcement on travel restrictions on those coming from countries where the new variant of the Covid-19 virus was detected because the government had already stopped foreigners from entering Malaysia since the start of the pandemic.

He said the country’s borders remained closed for tourists and only diplomats and expatriates were allowed in.

“Even then, this permission is not granted to every diplomat or expatriate.

“Those from the 23 countries announced (in September) are still not allowed in, ” he said.

Citizens from the 23 countries who are long-term pass holders are barred from entering Malaysia.

The nations include the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, India, Russia, Peru, Colombia, South Africa, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Iran and Bangladesh.

As for Malaysians from the affected countries, the government could not prevent them from returning home as it was their right, said Ismail Sabri.

Meanwhile, he said the Health Ministry would be given the choice to compound employers who failed to comply with the compulsory screenings for foreign workers or bring them to court.

Addressing the ire of some who were unhappy with the meagre RM1,000 fine imposed on an errant factory owner, Ismail Sabri said it was the maximum fine provided for under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.

“Thus, we are giving the Health Ministry leeway to bring the perpetrators to court instead of fining them as stiffer penalties can be imposed, ” he added.