Move to curb interstate travel

JEMPOL: Interstate travel approval letters issued by the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) for business and work purposes have been disallowed for four days from July 18-21 as people were found to have abused them to return to their hometowns for Hari Raya Aidiladha.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said a similar situation occurred during Hari Raya Aidilfitri in May, which then triggered 36 Covid-19 clusters.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

“There probably are also those who use their ‘expertise’ to evade the police by travelling through plantation roads and so on, but you can’t deceive Covid-19,” he told reporters after visiting a drive-through vaccination centre in Bandar Seri Jempol yesterday.

Later in his daily update on the National Recovery Plan (NRP), he said there had been an increase in traffic on the highways, with the number asked to turn back the highest on Friday since NRP was introduced.

“The government advises the people not to sneak back to their hometowns and continue to stay at home so as not to be infected or not to infect others.

“The authorities have been warned to be prepared for an increase in vehicles trying to cross state borders without permission in conjunction with Hari Raya Haji on July 20,” said Ismail Sabri.

In Kuala Lumpur, Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani confirmed that police would not accept the Miti documents as a valid movement permit for the four-day period from July 18-21 for interstate travel.

The ban followed the detection of an increased number of vehicles on the highways over the past two days.

“All roadblocks at state borders have been directed to increase enforcement and will not accept Miti documents as a valid movement approval.

“This is to avoid irresponsible parties from misusing the Miti permission letter as approval to cross states to celebrate Hari Raya Aidiladha,” he said in a statement. — Bernama