German man held for interstate walkabout

A German man who walked into the country without a valid permit for interstate travel was remanded for four days.

Arau district police chief Supt Nanda Maarof said the 24-year-old man was seen walking from the direction of Changlun, Kedah, and was arrested when he arrived at a roadblock (SJR) in Ulu Pauh, near here, at 12.45pm yesterday.

“An investigation by the personnel on duty at the Ulu Pauh SRJ found that the man had a valid travel document but did not have an interstate travel permit,” he said yesterday.

Supt Nanda said the man said he wanted to go to Langkawi by taking the ferry at Kuala Perlis, but claimed he was unaware that the country was currently undergoing a conditional movement control order period.

He said the German national told him that he arrived in Malaysia via the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 3, 2020, and had walked to Gerik, Perak, where he was stranded for two months before going to Perlis.

He said the man was remanded to help the investigation under Section 270 of the Penal Code and Regulation 15 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020.

“Police have informed the German Embassy in Malaysia concerning the case. The man will be taken to the Perlis Health Department for a Covid-19 screening test,” Supt Nanda said. — Bernama