Police see need to ease 10km rule
PENAMPANG: The Sabah police will ask the government to be flexible in allowing the public to travel more than the allowed 10 kilometer radius during the movement control order (MCO) period.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali said this flexibility is necessary after taking into consideration the geographical layout of Sabah with rural folk traveling more than 10 km from one district to another just to buy necessities.
“For example, those residing in Sabindo have to go to Putatan to buy basic necessities so they have to cross the district into Putatan. For them to travel to Papar is even further so the nearest will be Putatan.
“I have instructed the district police to be a bit flexible but they need to bring and provide proof of residence such as water bill or electricity bill,” he said while monitoring the police roadblock near the Sri Subramaniar Lokkawi Temple in Penampang yesterday.
Also present was Penampang police chief DSP Haris Ibrahim.
Hazani also said interstate travel within the next three days (until Friday night) during the MCO is allowed as per directive from Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador.
However, starting Saturday (Jan 16), those crossing the border or interstate travel must obtain a letter of permission from the police, he said.
Meanwhile, Hazani said he welcomed the proposal to increase the compound rate from RM1,000 to a certain amount as he feels the RM1,000 compound does not affect most people who continue to violate the SOP.
“We also recommend for repeat offenders to be arrested and detained because most of these offenders will just pay their fines and continue to break the SOP.
“So we need to find a more drastic approach,” he said.
When asked about police roadblocks during the MCO period, Hazani said there are 53 roadblocks throughout Sabah, with two roadblocks implemented in Kampung Timbang Dayang in Kota Belud and 10 roadblocks under Op Benteng Pantai Timur.
He said the roadblocks involved 5,000 Royal Malaysian Police (RMP), the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), the Malaysian Volunteer Department (RELA), the Civil Defense Force (APM) and the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH).
The strength of the police alone consists of 1,980 officers and personnel, he said.