KUALA LUMPUR: Phase three of the Movement Control Order (MCO) begins today in an ongoing effort to break the chain of Covid-19 infection in the country.
The MCO was first enforced on March 18, but was extended before its expiration on April 14 to April 28.
The extension will stretch into the first week of Ramadan, which is expected to commence on April 23.
To ensure a higher level of public compliance, the government has decided that from today, anyone caught defying the order will be summarily detained for legal action. This differs from the first and second phases of the MCO, when only compounds were issued to violators.
Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that under Section 24 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342), the court could impose a jail sentence of up to two years, and for subsequent offences, jail of up to five years, Bernama reported.
According to the Health Ministry, Malaysia has recorded 82 deaths and 4,987 Covid-19 infections as of Tuesday.
Malaysia has the highest rate of Covid-19 infections in Southeast Asia.