We’re watching you, Sabah cops warn those abusing employer letters

 

Sabah police say they will monitor the situation closely so that no one would slip through anymore.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah police today issued a warning to people misusing their employer letters to pass through roadblocks, after detecting such cases recently.

State police commissioner Hazani Ghazali said police will monitor the situation closely so that no one would slip through anymore.

“There are some who have taken advantage of the situation by showing their employer or department letters to the police, especially on weekends, so that they can return to their hometown.

“We will not hesitate to take action if we catch anyone doing this. As we know, only those involved in essential sectors are allowed to cross districts on grounds of official work,” he said here today.

Speaking to reporters after briefing the chief minister on the movement control order (MCO) in the state, Hazani said police issued a higher number of compounds for various offences in the past seven days compared with the previous week.

But this was also due to police carrying out spot checks in areas or districts that recorded high infections, he added.

“I have discussed with the chief minister and we know about the economic situation now but we will continue to carry out the spot checks,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said the confusion on the need for approval letters from the international trade and industry ministry (Miti) had been sorted out.

Hazani said the police only required letters from employers and government departments as well as police permits, from those working in the essential services and goods sectors intending to cross districts.

“I have told my men to let those holding such documents to go through the roadblocks … there is no problem now. We don’t want to burden the people,” he said.

However, he reminded those concerned that they were only allowed to travel between districts on official business and only to transport goods, and not to ferry other people.

Sabah DAP’s Luyang assemblyman Phoong Jin Zhe had on Tuesday said a miscommunication between the Sabah government and the police on the need for letters from Miti had sparked public anger.

Phoong said he received many calls from people, complaining that they had been instructed to show the Miti approval letters.

This is despite the recent announcement by the state government that approval letters by Miti were not needed for inter-district travel for those in the essential services and goods sectors.

Sabah local government and housing minister Masidi Manjun had said permission for the essential services and goods sectors to operate comes under the purview of the state government and local authorities.

He also said the state Covid-19 disaster management committee had decided that workers in those sectors need not obtain permission from Miti to cross districts in Sabah. - FMT