PUTRAJAYA has made it compulsory to wear face masks in public places starting August 1, said senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today.

Everyone must wear masks while taking public transport, he added.

“From August 1, wearing masks in public places that are crowded and when taking public transport is compulsory,” Ismail Sabri said at a press conference on the recovery movement-control order.

He said the compulsory use of masks will apply in crowded places, such as markets.

Those who do not comply can be compounded RM1,000 under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.

The decision, made at a meeting of the National Security Council today, is in view of the rising number of infections in recent days, he added.

“We are seeing an increase in the double digits after having single-digit increments.

“The Health Ministry has reported that this is happening because of a lack of compliance with the standard operating procedure (SOP).

“The SOP states that you must wear a mask when taking public transportation, especially if there is no social distancing.

“But we observe that on the LRT, in buses, including in planes, people are not using masks even though they are sitting close to each other.”

The defence minister said people could sew their own cloth masks as long as they followed specifications issued by the World Health Organisation.

“The Health Ministry will be releasing these specifications to the public soon. Making your own cloth masks can help households that have a lot of people.” – July 23, 2020.