THE police and army personnel will be deployed to the Selayang wholesale market to ensure shoppers practice social distancing, said Defence Minister Ismail Sabri, after earlier attempts did not yield results.

He said the authorities are not satisfied with the current social distancing compliance practised by the traders as well as the public at the capital’s largest market.

“The standard operating procedures are not followed. At today’s meeting, we have decided to place the police and the army at the market tomorrow onwards to ensure the SOP from the Health Ministry is followed,” Ismail said after the National Security Council’s daily briefing in Putrajaya.

He added the police told him that SOP is being adhered to at the Air Itam wet market in Penang.

“At the Air Itam market, I am told that the situation is now different. They are following the SOP.”

Meanwhile, on the letter from the Prison’s Department asking for movement control order (MCO) flouters not to be jailed, Ismail said the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) will discuss the matter with the police as soon as possible.

“They will discuss this issue very soon. I leave it to the AGC and the police.”

On disciplinary action taken against police officers who took matters into their own hands, Ismail said the police disciplinary unit will look into the claims.

“The police have their own rules. We leave it to them to investigate. Yesterday, the Home Ministry has issued a statement, so leave it to them.”

The public, including civil society groups, have criticised the police for using force against MCO flouters.

In several videos uploaded on Facebook, police officers were recorded using canes to disperse a group of men from gathering.

In one video, a man was struck on his face by a police officer with a cane before hitting others.

In another viral video, a police officer shouted at a motorist for violating the MCO but the man had earlier shouted at the police, trying to explain his reason. – April 5, 2020.