PUTRAJAYA: Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today dismissed claims suggesting that the government will declare a state of emergency and nationwide curfew to prevent further spread of Covid-19 in the country.
Ismail, who is also the Defence Minister, believed that the fake news stemmed from his previous announcement that the government would be rolling out an improved standard operating procedure to prevent the transmission of the virus.
“I want to clarify that news suggesting curfew, emergency ordinance and others are fake.
“As long as the (Movement Control) Order is being enforced according to Act 342 (of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988) by the Health Ministry, the directive is not a curfew but an order restricting movement (to reduce transmission of Covid-19),” he told reporters here today.
Ismail said that as of yesterday, the police together with the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) are investigating 117 cases related to the spread and sharing of fake news.
On a related matter, he said the government was expected to announce an enhanced SOP tomorrow or the day afte which would be used in the enforcement of the MCO.
“I want to again reassure everyone that this (enhanced SOP) does not amount to a curfew. I hope the people do not believe fake news which will trigger panic-buying among the people.
“However, the government may limit the operation hours of supermarkets during the MCO. This is because we learned that there are premises which still operate until midnight despite the enforcement of the directive.
“Having said that, I would like to assure the people that all markets and supermarkets will continue to operate (when the government enforces the enhanced SOP during the MCO),” he said.
On the Enhanced Movement Control (EMC) Order that was issued in two areas in Simpang Renggam, Kluang, in Johor, Ismail explained that the directive was enforced due to the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases.
“There were 83 positive cases of the Covid-19 infection (in Kluang) of which 74 cases were from the two villages (in Simpang Renggam),” he said.
Ismail on Thursday had announced that an EMC order would apply for Kampung Dato’ Ibrahim Majid and Bandar Baharu Dato’ Ibrahim Majid in Simpang Renggam affecting 3,570 residents from 650 families.
With the enforcement of the order all residents and visitors in the two areas will not be allowed to move out of their houses throughout the period.
Those intending to visit the two places will also not be allowed to enter while all business activities in the areas have been ordered to cease.