KOTA BHARU: As customers throng jewellery shops due to the drop in gold price over the past week, standard operating procedures (SOP) related to the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) appears to have taken a back seat.
As a result Kelantan police have issued 23 compounds since yesterday to errant patrons and shop proprietors flouting the SOPs.
Kelantan Police Chief DCP Shafien Mamat (pix) said police were currently monitoring about 35 gold shops around Kota Bharu to ensure that owners and customers comply with the SOPs set by the government following the implementation of the CMCO in the state.
“In such a situation there are definitely customers who ignore SOPs like physical distancing and wearing face masks.
“The owners of the premises also failed to provide other equipment such as temperature scanners and hand sanitisers because they might have been too busy serving their customers,” he told reporters at the Kelantan police contingent headquarters here today.
The police also called on the community to comply with SOPs in order to break the Covid-19 infection chain as soon as possible.
“If we obey all the instructions... InsyaAllah, the situation will return to normal. So far we have instructed them (premises owners and patrons) to comply with the SOP and the police will be monitoring.
“However, if they are still stubborn, the police will work with the local authorities to take action to close the premises,“ he said, adding that premise owners should put a line or rope to discipline the customers to line up before entering the premises.
He urged gold shop owners to hire the services of the People’s Volunteer Corps (RELA) to ensure compliance with SOPs at their premises as the police could not be stationed there all the time.
“We now live in the new norm. In the past, it was strange to see people wearing face masks, but now it is weird to see people not wearing their face masks. It is also good for us to remind each other to ensure everyone adheres to the set SOP,” he said. — Bernama
