Police to come down harder on MCO flouters

KUALA LUMPUR: The 2,285 compliance operation teams have been instructed to be more thorough in their patrols and take sterner action against those who flout Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP), says the Inspector-General of Police.

With the movement control order being extended to Feb 18, Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador (pic) said the time for warnings or advice for SOP flouters is over.

“Stricter enforcement is the way forward as we are very serious in our effort to stop the spread of the virus.

“We hope the public will comply as our ultimate goal is to break the chain of infection.

“So far, we have issued thousands of compounds for various offences, including for those who did not adhere to interstate travel restrictions. We are determined to enforce that order, ” he said when contacted.

Bukit Aman senior police officers with the rank of Senior Asst Comm (SAC) and above have been instructed to surveil the situation on the ground, added the IGP.

Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, when announcing the extension of the MCO, said stricter SOPs would be imposed.

It was previously reported that over 13,449 compounds were issued for various offences last month.

Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director Comm Datuk Seri Abd Rahim Jaafar said it was a stark increase compared with last December, when 9,899 compounds were issued.

“The police are concerned over the huge increase in the number of compounds issued to people who violated Covid-19 SOPs, ” he said.

In Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali said police here would no longer accept excuses from those who violate the MCO.

He issued the warning after a video of eight people in a private van, including the driver, in Sabah’s interior Tenom district went viral.

They were issued an RM1,000 compound each for failing to observe the SOP, including the 50% capacity of public transport ruling.

The villagers said they were heading into Tenom town to get essentials and medicines when they were issued summonses by the police on Jan 27.

In their interviews in the video, uploaded by Internet-based KDM TV, the villagers claimed they had no choice but to make the trip.

Some said they could not afford the RM1,000 fine and hope Melalap assemblyman Datuk Peter Anthony would help them pay it.

The villagers claimed they were not clear on the SOP and MCO.

But Comm Hazani described the viral video as provocative.

“We have been using our discretion since the MCO was first enforced last year. If we did not use discretion, we would have issued so many more summonses, ” he told reporters here yesterday.

He said many people had taken advantage of the leeway given by the police in enforcing the SOP in the state.

He said the “pirate” van driver was ferrying more than the 50% limit of his 13-seater capacity of the van, while the passengers were also found to be breaching MCO curbs.

Comm Hazani said he had ordered all district police chiefs and frontliners in the state to strictly enforce the protocols under the MCO and take appropriate action against those wilfully flouting the MCO.He said “pirate” van and taxi operators could also face further action under Section 33 of the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board Act for using a private vehicle for public purposes.

Offenders could face a RM5,000 fine or one-year jail sentence or both if found guilty.

Comm Hazani also said police would consider investigating offenders under Section 269 of the Penal Code for those who negligently perform any act they know is likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life.

They can face imprisonment of up to six months or a fine or both if convicted.