Govt not planning nationwide MCO, to enforce targeted restrictions instead, says Ismail Sabri

JERANTUT (Bernama): The government is not planning to implement a nationwide movement control order but will proceed with targeted movement restrictions instead, says Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said the targeted MCO could also be enforced following the Hotspots Identification for Dynamic Engagement (HIDE) system, which would indicate specific areas with Covid-19 hotspots.

"If there is a hotspot, we will enforce an MCO according to the village, subdistrict or district with a large number of cases but it will still be done in a targeted manner.

"However, various possibilities can occur because according to data from the Health Ministry (MOH), cases could reach up to more than 5,000 after the (Aidilfitri) celebration and can rise to 10,000 cases in July and August if there is no intervention from the government," he said.

Ismail Sabri said this at a media conference after opening a bridge at Kampung Sungai Putat here Saturday (May 8).

Also present were Army Chief General Tan Sri Zamrose Mohd Zain and Army Western Field Commander Lieutenant General Datuk Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan.

He was asked to comment on the possibility of a nationwide MCO following the recent surge in the number of cases daily, with 4,498 logged on Friday, apart from the concern of the people that a nationwide MCO would be imposed at the last minute before the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.

Ismail Sabri said a National Security Council (NSC) technical committee meeting this morning also discussed the possibility of an MCO during Hari Raya, adding that a decision would be announced Saturday evening or latest by Sunday to allow the people to make preparations.

On the newly-constructed bridge, Ismail Sabri said it was built after the original bridge was ruined by floods early this year and was closed to the public on March 24.

The closure made it difficult for the nearly 1,000 residents of Kampung Sungai Putat and its surrounding areas to travel to the nearby town and school, forcing them to repair the bridge on their own initiatives using coconut tree trunks.

Ismail Sabri said the bridge was unsafe, which prompted the Army to mobilise two squadrons of the Royal Army Engineers Regiment to construct a bridge which was completed within 17 hours on April 28, in collaboration with the Public Works Department and Tenaga Nasional Berhad and coordinated by the National Disaster Management Agency.

The bridge is the third Compact Bailey 100 bridge erected by the Malaysian Army to replace bridges that were destroyed by floods. – Bernama