PARTICIPANTS of the tabligh gathering at the Sri Petaling Mosque who refuse to undergo health screening could face drastic action taken against them, said Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador today.

Hamid said a special task force has been set up to trace the participants who attended the event last month. The team is led by Criminal Investigation Department director Huzir Mohamed.

“So far PDRM have traced a total of 7,671 individuals who attended the event. Now, the health ministry has also given us a list of participants who have already gone through the screening process.

“So we will compare the names and from it we will know how many have yet to go for screening.

“We will then take drastic action to force them to take the test with the help of the Health Ministry,” he said in a live interview with Astro Awani today.

Hamid also said he would appreciate it if members of the public contribute information on those who attended the event, saying it will help the taskforce trace them.

“I really appreciate the public contributing information. It facilitates the taskforce. If we can, we want to get 100% (of those who attended the tabligh),” he said.

It is estimated that 16,000 people took part in the three-day programme, of whom 14,500 were Malaysians. Authorities are urging those who have not undergone screening to come forward.

The Covid-19 death toll in Malaysia now stands at eight, on a day when 153 new cases were reported, spiking the total number to 1,183. – March 21, 2020.