KUALA LUMPUR: The army will be deployed to civilian areas beginning this Sunday to assist the police in managing and enforcing the Movement Control Order (MCO), which took effect on Wednesday, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri said.
“Based on today’s meeting, it was decided that the army will be helping the police in monitoring the situation, especially on the people’s compliance with instructions announced by the government for them to stay at home.
“The army will be deployed this Sunday and we believe with the help of the army, the people will obey the MCO,” he said.
However, there are signs that Malaysians are beginning to heed the authorities’ advice to stay at home, Sabri said.
Nevertheless, he added that there are still Malaysians who are not obeying the MCO, which was announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday.
“The police can actually take action against those who disobey the order. The only reason the police have yet to do so is because, at the moment, we prefer to give advice rather than making arrests.
“The police notified us that if the people continue to ignore the order and they can no longer compromise, legal action will be taken against rule-breakers.”
Ismail also warned Malaysians against spreading fake news on social media, especially on matters that can cause panic nationwide.
He was referring to viral postings yesterday which claimed that the army will be stationed nationwide, as the country is planning to declare an emergency.
“I hope people won’t be easily swayed by this. Every ministry has its own hotline, so if you have any queries, call those numbers.
“We don’t want people to become panicky, especially when shopping for groceries. Don’t do that. We have enough supplies for everyone,” he said.
In response to criticisms on the government’s plan to deploy the army, Ismail explained that the government made the decision based on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).
Article 5 of Act 342 states that the Health Minister has the power to deploy any government agency when deemed necessary, Ismail said.