Pictures of massive jams at toll plazas not of people fleeing before MCO takes effect

KUALA LUMPUR: Photographs of a large number of motorists causing jams at toll plazas on Saturday were not those of people fleeing their respective states ahead of the movement control order (MCO) but traffic congestion due to police roadblocks.

Internal Security and Public Order acting director Commissioner Datuk Azri Ahmad said a police checkpoint can normally cause a traffic slowdown as every motorist is checked before being allowed to proceed.

“If a motorist is stopped for a minute at a roadblock, naturally there will be a gridlock and this will obviously show a heavy volume of traffic. We found that those who produced police permits for travel had valid reasons and those who did not were either issued a summons or ordered to turn around,” he told theSun yesterday.

Azri said that on Friday and Saturday, a total of 1,308 summonses were issued to individuals and companies for breaching standard operating procedures (SOP).

He urged the public to respect the law and do their part in stemming the spread of the virus.

“If we have 10% of Malaysians going outdoors, that would be about 3.3 million people. We have 60,000 personnel, 80% of whom are police and the rest from other agencies, enforcing the MCO nationwide.

“Hence, we cannot be in every nook and corner to enforce the SOP. We have other duties, such as fighting crime. The number of infections is growing. The only way we can fight this once and for all is for each and everyone to play his part by observing the SOP and minimising the spread of the disease.”

Just like medical frontliners, policemen are also overstretched enforcing various movement restrictions over the past year, he added.

Leave for police personnel remains frozen and they have been on their feet constantly, alternating between policing duties and enforcing movement restrictions, leaving them very little time to spend with their families.

“While enforcing movement restrictions and coming in close contact with the public, 731 senior police officers, 2,235 lower-ranking personnel and 200 civilian staff were infected with the Covid-19 virus since March 18 last year.”

One senior police officer and five lower ranking personnel succumbed to the infection. A total of 1,380 family members of the infected police personnel also contracted Covid-19, he said.

Due to exposure to Covid-19-positive personnel, 27,829 others in the force were required to undergo quarantine during the same period, he added.