CHINESE nationals from Hubei province, including Wuhan, are temporarily barred from entering Malaysia, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement today.

All entry mechanisms including visa-free entry, visa on arrival, e-visa and manual visas for Chinese nationals from Wuhan and Hubei have been suspended with immediate effect.

“The decision was made in view of the latest development of the Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in China, especially in Hubei province, and comes into force immediately,” it said.

The viral outbreak has killed 80 people in China, with Hubei recording 24 fatalities, while nationwide cases have exceeded 2,700.

The Chinese government has placed Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak and capital of Hubei, and other nearby cities under an unprecedented lockdown, affecting tens of millions of residents, to contain the disease.

The virus has caused global concern because of its similarity to the SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, pathogen, which killed hundreds across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002 and 2003.

Malaysia has been affected by the virus. Earlier today, Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the number of confirmed cases in Malaysia is four, all of them Chinese nationals.

The Prime Minister’s Office said the suspension will be lifted once the situation goes back to normal.

“Wisma Putra will co-ordinate the implementation of this decision with the Chinese government.”

“The situation is being monitored from time to time. Several parties are doing their best to curb the outbreak,” it said.

The PMO added that Malaysia has been adhering to the procedures laid down by the World Health Organization (WHO) and has sought advice from experts on how to control the epidemic from spreading.

The government also advised members of the public to not spread false information on the virus, which could disrupt public order.

Earlier today, in a joint statement, the police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said they will not tolerate anyone disseminating fake news, and it is closely monitoring social media posts.

The authorities are investigating four cases of spreading false information on the outbreak already.

“We view the spreading of false information on the virus very seriously, and we will not tolerate (those who spread such information),” the commission said.

“Anyone found to be spreading fake news will be investigated under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for conduct with the intent to cause fear or alarm to the public.

“So far, we’ve identified four individuals who have been spreading fake news on the virus. They will also be investigated under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for sharing offensive and menacing content.” – January 27, 2020.