PUTRAJAYA: Malacca recorded the most number of attempts by motorists to travel interstate yesterday at 886 cases, according to Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said Perak had the second highest number of cases at 362, followed by Penang with 284 cases.
“Every day I have been advising people against making interstate travel and yesterday when I said permission will no longer be granted for such journeys, maybe many wanted to take advantage to cross state lines.
“Maybe they were worried there would be (more) roadblocks today and therefore many tried to cross state borders,” he said at a daily press conference on the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) here today.
Ismail Sabri said 2,539 motorists who tried to cross state lines to return to their kampung were ordered to turn back by the police.
Meanwhile, on inter-district travel to visit relatives during Aidilfitri, Ismail Sabri said there is no ban but the people are discouraged from doing it for the sake of their own safety and health, as Covid-19 is still a threat.
He said Johor’s advice against inter-district travel was in line with the stand of the federal government.
“Discouraging doesn’t mean stopping. If we care to listen, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has been saying every day that inter-district travel is allowed but not encouraged for the sake of our common safety,” he said.
Ismail Sabri also said the ban on interstate travel now applies to married couples staying far apart because of work although they were previously allowed to visit each other once a week.
“No more (exemption). Everyone is subject to the regulations I announced yesterday,” he added.
Asked on reports that thousands of people were still making a beeline to cross state borders, Ismail Sabri said even if they managed to reach their kampung, there is no guarantee that they would not be detected by the police on their return journey.
“If the police see the need to mount more roadblocks, they will do so, and a RM1,000 compound and turn-back order have been enforced from today.
On claims by a woman that she used top-level police connection to travel to another state, he said the authorities were aware of this case.
“Before this there was a viral case of a family taking selfies while making interstate travel to Kuala Lumpur, and the same thing will happen to these people (action will be taken).
“Therefore, I leave it to the police to investigate,” he added.
Yesterday, Terengganu police denied viral social media reports that they had issued an order banning inter-district travel between May 22 and 27. - Bernama
