It’s week 3 of the nationwide Movement Control Order and after a shaky start, the Inspector General of Police has today announced that the public compliance rate is now at 99 percent. This effectively means that people are finally starting to understand just how important social distancing is in the fight against the Covid-19 virus.
That being said, the road to 99 percent wasn’t easy. The police, who were initially understanding and let people off with just a mere warning for disregarding the MCO, have had to enforce stricter rules in order to reach this mark.
“Previously, police implemented the MCO in a soft and advisory mode, but some were stubborn, who felt as if they would not be infected (with Covid-19).“Now the police are becoming more strict with those who are irresponsible. Those who go out without a valid purpose will be arrested,”
Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador, Inspector General of Police
Over the past 3 weeks, over 4000 people in Malaysia have been arrested. And it’s not like these people are hardened criminals or thieves or anything. They’re ordinary folk, just like you and me who simply have no regard for abiding to the MCO.
For example, a couple in Sabah were put in jail for four days and fined RM300 each by a magistrate’s court after they went shopping together. The pair were on their way out when they were stopped at a roadblock. There, they were told by the cops that only one person from each household was allowed to go shopping at any one time. Instead of turning around and heading back home however, they used another back route to the town and were then arrested.
In another example, A 44-year-old sales manager claimed trial to two charges at a Magistrate’s Court last Friday after she allegedly insulted a police officer. Ms Tong Poh Kim, in her infinite wisdom, had called a police officer (who was just doing his job, mind you) an idiot, after the roadblock they had set up on Jalan Persiaran Surian had amassed some traffic. She potentially faces 2 years in jail, a fine of up to RM10,000 or both if found guilty.
I cannot stress enough how important it is for us to abide by the MCO. The only reason the police have had to resort to arresting people is because we didn’t comply in the first place. I feel the need to bring this up because it simply just isn’t worth the hassle of having a jail stint on your record over something as ridiculous as wanting to go shopping.
Yes, we’ve reached 99 percent compliance but so many arrests could’ve been avoided on our journey to get to this point. The hope here is that we maintain this momentum and hopefully reach 100 percent compliance as the MCO continues.
