KUALA LUMPUR: Police are tracking down People Under Surveillance (PUS) who have not undergone the second Covid-19 swab test on the 13th day of their mandatory home quarantine.
Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the police would also haul the Malaysian returnees to court for failing to adhere to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease Act 1998 and its Measures within the Infected Local Areas Regulations 2020.
"There are 2,897 PUS who have yet to come forward to get tested for the second time. I was (however) told that over the weekend, many have gone to get themselves tested. Those who have not done so, police are hunting them down.
"I hope we do not have to go to the extent of arresting the PUS for breaching the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). It is utmost important that they care for their own health, their families and the people around them," said Ismail Sabri during a press conference at the Parliament today.
Ismail Sabri also said the defiance of the people in adhering to the SOPs to curb the spread of Covid-19 reflected in the rise in the statistics of arrests made by the police and yesterday, police had arrested 357 people for flouting the SOPs.
He said 32 offenders were remanded while two were out on bail. The remaining 323 were slapped with compounds, he added.
"Many people are increasingly flouting the SOPs and the police will not compromise with the offenders who will be compounded RM1,000 or face a six-month jail sentence.
"The Health Ministry and police will also conduct periodical spot checks to ensure that those under quarantine stick to the SOPs such as refraining from leaving their rooms and mingling with their family members.
"The government-issued wristbands must always be worn during the isolation period and they must get tested for the second time at a private clinic or health clinic recognised by the ministry," he said.
Ismail Sabri expressed gratitude to the public who had been actively playing their part to report the wrongdoings involving the PUS and urged them to continue to be the eyes and ears of the authorities.
He said he was aware of the people's concern over the possibility of the Movement Control Order (MCO) being enforced again should the Covid-19 positive cases in the country hit three digits.
"Only we, the rakyat, can ensure that the MCO will not return by not defying the SOPs and for sure the cases will then drop.
"If we are negligent, the number (of positive cases) will only surge. We can determine whether the MCO will be implemented or otherwise. The power is in our hands to make sure MCO will not be reinstated and we can end the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO)," he said.
Ismail Sabri also said the government's decision to reopen the quarantine centres for Malaysian and non-citizen arrivals was due to the rise of import cases.
The government viewed seriously the risk of infections due to the non-compliance of the people if they were isolated at home where their family members could go out in public and potentially infected others, he said.
To date, he said, 1,448 Malaysians had returned home from 19 countries and placed at six hotels and three public training institutes in Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Penang and Johor.
While foreigners are required to pay the full cost of quarantine, Ismail Sabri said Malaysians were paying less than half the amount.
"For Malaysians, the government bears 56 per cent of the cost of quarantine, including the Covid-19 screening tests, while they fork out the remaining 44 per cent," he said.