Lockdown: 800 roadblocks nationwide from June 1

 

There will be 800 roadblocks mounted nationwide once the total lockdown is enforced on June 1 compared to 600 currently, Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said.

He said 70,000 members of the police force and agencies under the Home Ministry will be on duty to ensure standard operating procedures (SOP) compliance during the nationwide lockdown, of which 55,000 are police officers, compared to 37,000 currently.

As for ministry agencies, such as the Immigration Department, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), People’s Volunteer Corps, there will be 15,000 personnel on duty, he added.

“If the number is found not to be sufficient, we will add more personnel,” he told reporters after chairing a ministry-level meeting on the total lockdown today.

Also present were Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud and MMEA director-general Mohd Zubil Mat Som.

Yesterday, the special session of the National Security Council (NSC) on Covid-19 management decided to implement the first phase of total lockdown on the social and economic sectors nationwide for 14 days beginning this Tuesday due to a drastic rise in Covid-19 cases.

The Prime Minister’s Office, in a statement, said throughout this period, all sectors will not be allowed to operate, except for essential economic and service sectors listed by the NSC.

Hamzah said the SOP Compliance Monitoring Team would also conduct inspections in collaboration with relevant ministries and government agencies such as the International Trade and Industry Ministry and local authorities to ensure compliance within the social and economic sectors.

“The inspections will also involve rural areas and locations where people tend to gather," he said, adding that the membership of the monitoring team will be increased to almost 20,000 people compared to 13,795 currently.

On Op Benteng, Hamzah said the MMEA and Marine police will be mobilised to tighten SOP border control and SOP compliance, especially at the migrant landing and encroachment hotspots. - Bernama