KUALA LUMPUR: The Special Ministerial Meeting on the Implementation of the movement control order (MCO) does not prevent foreign citizens from working as crew members on domestic fishing vessels to ensure sufficient fish supply in the country, said Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said these foreign citizens, however, must first obtain permission to leave their countries from their respective governments.
They also need to apply for a Temporary Employment Pass from the Immigration Department as well as undergo Covid-19 screening and the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
“The employers must also provide accommodation for their foreign crew,” he said in a statement on the development of the recovery movement control order (RMCO) yesterday.
Meanwhile, the special meeting also agreed to allow expatriates currently residing in Malaysia to leave the country only for emergency or medical reasons.
He said the Malaysian government also would not prevent any foreign citizen from returning to their country of origin, on condition it was a one-way trip.
Ismail Sabri, who is also the Defence Minister, said foreign citizens without travel documents would have to obtain them from their respective embassies.
Meanwhile, he said police on Friday arrested 53 individuals for violating the RMCO, with eight of them being remanded and 45 others issued compounds.
Among the offences included carrying out activities in karaoke or family entertainment centres, pubs or night clubs, reflexology or massage as well as activities which involved large crowds which make it difficult to practise social distancing and which violated the standard operating procedure (SOP).
Ismail Sabri also said that seven foreigners were detained for flouting immigration laws at roadblocks during Ops Benteng.
He said the government would take stern action against any party trying to enter the country’s borders illegally and that enforcement agencies would continue to tighten security at its borders, especially at the rat lanes.
Meanwhile, a total of 20 public sanitation operations covering 16 zones in seven countries, including in Sabah, Melaka and Perak, were carried out yesterday.
In another development, a total of 425 Malaysians returned home on Friday and, of the total, 422 of them were ordered to undergo mandatory home quarantine while three others were taken to a hospital.
“A total of 140 people also entered the country’s border in Johor and all have been ordered to undergo home quarantine,” he said.
He said the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) also carried out inspections at 53 constructions sites nationwide on Friday. Of the total, 37 sites complied with the SOP, but 11 failed to do so and were given a warning while five sites were not operational. – Bernama
