Police: Public still clueless about movement restrictions in fight against Covid-19

 

Even though Malaysia has been facing the Covid-19 pandemic for more than a year, there are members of the public who still fail to understand the need for movement restrictions to curb the risk of virus transmission from one place to another.

Putrajaya district police chief Mohd Fadzil Ali said there were those in Putrajaya who tried to evade roadblocks by damaging road barricades and blinkers, opening alternative routes and driving against the flow of the traffic, following the closure of 10 roads along the border with Selangor on June 1.

“We found alternative routes made by residents living along the border of Selangor. Along Jalan 7G heading into Putrajaya Sentral, we found many vehicles being driven against the flow of the traffic towards Puchong because the exit road is closed.

“There are roadblocks mounted on several roads but the public is still looking for space to facilitate travel and pass the roadblocks. The roadblocks are mounted not to inconvenience the public but to reduce the risk of virus transmission and protect the area from infection,” he said.

He said this to Bernama after conducting checks at several areas that are still used as the entry and exit routes for the public to Putrajaya from areas bordering Selangor, including Dengkil, Puchong, Bangi and Kajang today.

Apart from that, a check at Taman Cabaran in Presint 5 found a rat trail near the Presint 20 cemetery apart from vandalism against road barricades and blinkers by the public due to dissatisfaction against road closures and such action could be investigated under Section 269/270 of the Penal Code as the acts may result in the transmission of any life-threatening disease.

Mohd Fadzil said the Putrajaya district police headquarters (IPD) had issued a total of 16 compounds since June 1, and seven compounds issued on Friday alone for interstate and interdistrict travel without a valid permit. Six traffic summonses were also issued for driving against the traffic flow yesterday.

He also said that congestion at four roadblocks mounted was unavoidable and this would enable thorough inspections to ensure the movement of the public more controlled with official permission letters and for emergency matters.

Four static roadblocks in Putrajaya are at Lebuh Sentosa heading out to Lebuhraya Maju Expressway (MEX), Persiaran Selatan heading out to Dengkil (Presint 5), Gate 2A Persiaran Utara heading out to Hospital Serdang (Presint 12) and Gate 3 Persiaran Utara heading to Puchong (Presint 9).

He also expressed regret over the actions of staff of government departments and agencies who used designated lane for frontliners at roadblocks to avoid inspection and speed up travel.

He said the police did not prevent the public from entering Putrajaya but they were required to provide a valid interstate permit. He also advises civil servants who are not frontliners to plan their journey well and follow the rules.

- Bernama