MCO: Application for interstate travel to open on Saturday

PUTRAJAYA: Those who went back to their hometowns before the Movement Control Order (MCO) was enforced can start applying on Saturday for permission to return home, said Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said the application could be made online via the ‘ Gerak Malaysia’ application, which was jointly developed by the Royal Malaysia Police ( PDRM) and the Communications and Multimedia Ministry, or at the nearest police station.

“However, this ma er (interstate travel) is still under study; even if allowed, I believe it will likely be a er May 1. There is no guarantee yet because we need to wait for reports from police stations a er April 25 (when applications are opened).

“Then we will know how many would like to return and so forth. Only then can we come up with a tight SOP (Standard Operating Proceure) (on out of town travel),” he said at a daily news conference on the MCO here yesterday.

Meanwhile, he said police arrested 865 individuals for breaching the MCO on Tuesday, and of this number, 732 have been remanded and the rest released on police bail.

He said that so far 17,735 people had violated the MCO, which was implemented on March 18 and is scheduled to end on April 28, to curb the spread of Covid-19.

On Covid-19 fake news, Ismail Sabri said police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission had opened 237 investigation papers so far.

He also said that since March 30, a total of 3,332 sanitisation operations had been conducted in 109 zones, including 30 red zones. — Bernama