KUCHING: The army is prepared to deploy additional troops to support the police in maintaining public order as part of the movement control order (MCO) to contend with the rise of Covid-19 cases.
First Malaysian Infantry Division commanding officer Major General Datuk Mohd Din Abu said, “We will deploy more of our men to assist if there is a need.
“On Day seven of Ops Penawar, we added 34 personnel to man the roadblocks (SJRs) and eight Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPVs) as requested by the police.
“So far, there are a total of 306 army personnel involved in the road blocks and 48 with the MPVs.
“As a whole, the army is providing 1,006 supporting personnel for the MCO. This figure might increase based on the urgency to assist the police following the 14-day extension of the MCO,” he said.
The military personnel (members of the army, navy and air force) began their Ops Penawar on Mar 22. They will help the police to enforce the MCO until April 14.
They are also involved in border control as requested by the Chief Minister. The border control covers areas from Telok Melano to Bakelalan and monitors illegal routes used to gained entry to the state.
“For Sarawak, the army deployment and Ops Penawar started on Mar 22 with 31 SJRs and 2 MPVs involving a total of 267 personnel.
“Apart from the existing operation, we also have Ops Awas. This covers “laluan tikus” (hidden trails) which we believe, were used to gain entry to the state,” he said.
Mohd Din pointed out that facilities to screen and disinfect the frontliners before they returned home were needed as a precautionary measure in keeping the operation team safe from the virus.
“They are exposed while manning the roadblocks. If they are infected, who will be carrying out the duties during the operation to safeguard our country and wellbeing,” he asked.
Mohd Din also urged the public to stay at home.
“So please adhere to the MCO to ensure that there will be no further extension of the order.
“If the people do not comply, we won’t be able to succeed. The people need to understand this. We can take legal actions against those who do not comply,” he said.
