A TOTAL of 4,189 individuals have been arrested so far for violating the movement control order (MCO), and of this, 1,449 have since been charged in court, senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.

“Of those who have been charged, some have been punished, and I’m not just talking about fines but jail sentences.

“These are the ones who have been stubborn,” he told the daily press conference on Covid-19 national security in Putrajaya today.

Ismail Sabri, who is also defence minister, said police made 562 arrests yesterday over violations of the MCO, a figure comparable to the 583 arrested on Tuesday.

He said the slight reduction in arrests is a good sign.

“If the trend is an indication of the public’s response to the government’s call to stay at home, then it is a good sign.

“This is something we have been looking forward to because it means the public now appears to be aware of the importance of following instructions to stay at home.”

He said there was a case where an offender was sentenced to eight months’ jail, not just for violating the MCO but for assaulting a police officer and obstructing justice.

Road blocks and car inspections will continue, he added.

A total of 380,342 vehicles have been stopped at road blocks while 3,791 business premises have been inspected.

Enforcement authorities have also carried out 23,256 “surprise checks” he said, without elaborating where these checks were carried out.

The Housing and Local Government Ministry has identified 348 areas for public sanitation nationwide, 93 areas were completed yesterday, Ismail Sabri added.

Since the movement control order was ordered, a total of 252 areas have been sanitised with 46 areas around the country to be sanitised today, he said.

He said the government has received many complaints, some in the form of videos on social media on purported mistakes in how the sanitation process is carried out in their respective areas.

“We receive many complaints about the manner in which the sanitations are being carried out.

“Some said it did not follow the rules. The Health Ministry has produced standard operating procedures on how each is carried out,” he said, adding that complaints should be filed formally.

Meanwhile, he said a special cabinet committee, of which he is a member, will meet to discuss measures to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak on the economy.

“We understand there is great anxiety among the business community about the effects of this movement control order. Many have suffered losses due to their premises being closed. However, we need to ensure that this Covid-19 threat is destroyed.

“We need to ensure that society is safe from this virus. We hope the public understands there is a need for balance between the economic needs of the country and the safety and health of the people.”

The International Trade and Industry Ministry announced the committee today, which will be co-chaired by senior minister Mohamed Azmin Ali and Ismail Sabri. – April 2, 2020.