GEORGE TOWN: A man on his way to buy his favourite food was stopped by police manning a roadblock....and sent right back home.
He did not specify where he was heading to when stopped at a roadblock at Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu here.
According to Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Soffian Santong, the man who had defied the Movement Control Order (MCO) to satisfy his craving only said the food he wanted was "delicious".
“I advised him not to repeat it (going out for trivial reasons) and told him to go home."
Soffian said that while a majority had valid reasons to go out during the MCO period, others did so for trivial reasons.
“We will continue to advise the public to adhere to the MCO. Our roadblocks are up 24 hours and we will monitor the situation closely.
“Let us do our part and stay at home to break the chain of infection,” he told a press conference today.
Today is the fifth day of the MCO which is expected to last until the end of the month to curb the spread of Covid-19.
In Penang, a total of 99 Army Regiment 505 members have been deployed to assist the police in enforcing the MCO.
Soffian said the army and 50 members from the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) were scheduled to join 351 policemen in enforcement operations.
Apart from the roadblock in Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, three more had been set up in Batu Ferringhi, Paya Terubong and Batu Maung. Enforcement teams would also patrol the public parks.
On the situation in Air Itam market where people had been found crowding despite the MCO, Soffian said the police and Penang Island City Council would continue to do their rounds there.
“If it gets worse, we will suggest the army to be deployed there,” he said.