POLICE are searching for a Rohingya man who reportedly escaped from a quarantine centre at the Health Ministry’s Malaysia’s Training Institute in Tanjung Rambutan yesterday.

Ipoh district police chief A. Asmadi Abdul Aziz said Rohim Mohd Zokoria, 27, was found missing when a ministry staffer was monitoring those quarantined at block E-2-83 of the facility at about 11am.

“Ministry and Civil Defence Force personnel looked for the man around the quarantine block and his designated room, but could not find him,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

He said Rohim was of a sturdy build and weighed about 65kg, with short straight black hair, and an height of between 165 to 168cm.

The suspect was initially placed at the quarantine centre at 5pm on Saturday after being detained by the Muallim district police at a roadblock at KM388.3 of the North-South Expressway and was admitted to Slim River Hospital for having Covid-19 symptoms.

“However, a screening done at the Slim River Hospital found the suspect to be negative for Covid-19, and he was sent back to the centre to be quarantined for 14 days,” said Asmadi.

He said there were no other details about the suspect at the quarantine centre as he did not possess any identification documents and only filled out his name and passport number on the form provided.

Investigations revealed that the quarantine centre, which houses 57 people, was still awaiting swab test results, including Rohim’s.

The case is being investigated under Section 269 of the Penal Code and Regulation 6 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures Within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020 as well as Section 6 (1) (c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. – Bernama, June 1, 2020.