Stop politicians from crossing borders, says health expert

 

Police carrying out checks for MCO violations. There has been an outcry against a double standard practised by the government. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A public health expert, calling for tighter control on cross-border travel, has suggested that movements of politicians and their entourage be banned, to avoid spreading Covid-19.

Syed Mohamed Aljunid Syed Junid said there had been many exceptions made for cross-district and interstate travel, especially for politicians.

“When they move, they bring a team; we see the group not adhering to the SOP. Why are they given such an exemption? I am surprised,” he said in a media interview quoted by Sinar Harian.

He said such exceptions to the travel ban gave a poor impression of the movement control order. “It appears as if we are not carrying out fair action, that there is a group of elites (kayangan) and so on,” he said, according to Sinar Harian.

Syed Mohamed Aljunid Syed Junid.

More effective, stricter and more fair enforcement would bear fruit, he said, especially when interstate movements were reduced.

He also called for greater cooperation between state and federal governments to carry out large-scale Covid-19 screening. He said the health ministry would not have the capacity to carry out large-scale screening on its own.

“However, large-scale screening and cooperation between the state and federal governments requires political will,” he said, urging the health ministry to work with other sectors, especially the state governments, to mobilise local communities for help.

Meanwhile, two people were issued compound fines of RM5,000 each for the movement control order when crossing district borders without a police permit at Taman Perindustrian Lukut, Port Dickson, yesterday. District police said seven people were fined RM1,500 each for not wearing face masks and two others for not adopting physical distancing by lingering around for no reason around Port Dickson and Teluk Kemang. - FMT