Empty streets and malls as Malaysia locks down

 

All shops remain closed in Putrajaya, with Presint 15 looking very quiet. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: On the first day of the two-week national lockdown today, the nation became quieter with shops and malls closed, streets deserted and road blocks sprouting all over.

Traffic appeared lighter in parts of the often congested capital with cars moving smoothly around the Petronas Twin Towers.

The lockdown was called after the rising number of cases, which hit a record high of 9,020 new infections and 98 deaths registered on Saturday.

“For me, the lockdown should have been carried out during Ramadan when there were fewer cases and people didn’t move around as much,” bank manager Muhammad Azril Maridzuan told Reuters.

A roadside ‘pisang goreng’ seller Mokhtar Seman contiuing with business in Desa Rejang in Kuala Lumpur. Roadside businesses are allowed but for takeaways only. (Bernama pic)

“Now, people are moving around more. So it’s a little late but a lockdown is okay to reduce our infection rates,” he said.

Another resident also worried about the scope of the latest curbs.

“I think even with the new restrictions, the airports are still open so there is still  potential that Covid-19 can spread even while the people are struggling (under lockdown) right now,” said Siti, a 25-year-old food delivery rider, who declined to give her full name.

A nationwide check by Bernama found most of the main roads and city centres were relatively quiet, with an estimated 70% drop in road traffic.

The country saw more roadblocks being set up with security personnel being tasked with ensuring that SOPs of the total lockdown were complied with.

Some 55,000 police personnel manned 800 roadblocks throughout the country – fixed-location and mobile roadblocks.

Sentul district police chief Beh Eng Lai said there were still a large number of vehicles on the road from 7am to 10.30am.

A policemen at a roadblock looks at athe empty highway near Senawang toll plaza of the North-South Expressway in Neggeri Sembilan. (Bernama pic)

He said all drivers had approval letters from their companies, adding that there were three roadblocks under the Sentul district police headquarters, namely in Jalan Kepong, Jalan Sentul Pasar and in Bandar Menjalara.

For Selangor, which is “ground zero” of the pandemic, a survey around Shah Alam found that traffic flow was uncongested, and that most business premises deemed to be part of non-essential services were not operating.

A similar situation was seen in Sarawak and Kota Bharu, Kelantan where Bernama found that traffic flow to be smooth and relatively quiet, even though Sarawak was celebrating Hari Gawai today.

Additional roadblocks were also set up in Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor, Pahang, Terengganu, Perlis and Sabah.

In Kedah, police not only increased roadblocks but also completely closed 12 alternative roads in the state to prevent inter-district travel, while in Perlis, two “rat trails” were closed to prevent people from entering the state without police permission.

In Perak, state police chief Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said 21 roads had been closed to prevent inter-district and interstate travel.

Meanwhile, despite the total lockdown, there are still those applying for daily travel permits.

Pahang police chief Abd Jalil Hassan said his department received 2,148 applications for daily travel permits yesterday and of that number, only 105 were rejected.

The enforcement of the total lockdown until June 14 involves a ban on interstate and inter-district travel, and the closure of business premises after 8pm. There are also restrictions on movement – travel is only permitted within a 10km radius only with only two people allowed in a vehicle. - FMT