Food shortages should not happen in locked down areas - Ismail Sabri

 

All those in areas placed under an enhanced movement control order (MCO) should be provided with adequate food according to the standard operating procedures, according to Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Food should be given to everyone locked down in these areas, including foreign nationals on humanitarian grounds, he said.

"The matter should not have arisen because food supply had indeed been sent to them," he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

"If this (shortages) indeed happened at any specific place, I hope that they would contact the state disaster management committee," he said, responding to a question raised on a complaint related to a lack of food supply sent to a locked-down area.

"From the aspect of the SOPs, the food supply is provided by the state government, federal government or any other party because this is the responsibility of the state disaster management committee," he said.

On Oct 29, the residents of Taman Semarak in Tawau, Sabah held a protest to appeal to the authorities to have some flexibility in implementing the enhanced MCO in their area from Oct 26 to Nov 8. 

The issue was resolved the next day after they received food packs.

It was common for the residents to face a shortage of food and supply when the government first imposed the enhanced MCO eight months ago as the government struggled to channel supply to the high-density residential area placed under lockdown.

However, the situation has been improving over time until the latest incident in Tawau.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said Putrajaya proposed to the state government to relax the restriction on congregational prayers at mosques at the area under the conditional MCO.

The government allowed Friday and congregational prayers to be held at Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, which are under the conditional MCO, but limited to numbers of prayers to 50.

Apart from that, he said the National Security Council (NSC) agreed for akad nikah (solemnisation ceremony) to be held at the area placed under the conditional MCO.

It was reported that many were forced to postpone their solemnisation ceremony due to the conditional CMO, which has been extended to Nov 9.

However, he said the matters would be referred to the rulers and state government as religious matters come under their jurisdiction. - Mkini