KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 — A total of 21,664 individuals have been arrested and charged in court for flouting the Movement Control Order (MCO), according to the Home Ministry.
“A total of 21,664 individuals have been caught and charged to court from the period of March 18 to July 31,” Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin told the Dewan Negara in his written parliamentary reply on September 22.
“A total of 14,957 compounds have been issued by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) to premises, companies, and individuals.”
The government had declared the MCO on March 18 that saw a strict nationwide lockdown, subsequently followed by the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) from May 4. The CMCO ended on June 10 and was replaced by the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO), under which most of the economy reopened, except for the entertainment industry, that has been extended till December 31.
Hamzah was replying to Senator Ismail Yusop (PKR), who had asked the former to state the total number of fines PDRM has collected from March to July for those found guilty of violating the MCO and the total number of companies and individuals that have been charged in court.
According to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who announced the extension of the RMCO, law enforcement can continue to be taken under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease Act 1988 (Act 342) to ensure compliance with health standard operating procedures (SOPs) and protocols.
From August 1, the government has made it mandatory for people to wear face coverings in crowded public areas. Besides issuing compounds to individuals who do not practice physical distancing, operators of premises that fail to keep records of visitors and those that operate beyond permitted hours have also been issued compounds by health authorities.
