Senior Minister (Security) Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the public were adhering to standard operating procedures (SOP) provided by authorities to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said it also showed that fears of chaos when businesses reopen were baseless.
“Thank God, from the reports I received from the police this morning, even though there had been an increase of cars on the road, the situation is under control,” he said during his daily security briefing on the management of the movement control order (MCO).
Ismail also thanked Malaysians for helping authorities enforce the rules under the conditional MCO by posting videos of possible violations of SOPs, such as large crowds without social distancing in place.
“If these videos were genuine, we would like to thank you. This is one way to help the authorities monitor the compliance with the SOP,” he said, but cautioned the public to verify material they received before posting.
He also praised the people for adhering to regulations such as the practice of social distancing and use of face masks when out shopping or taking public transport.
“This shows that the new normal has begun and is becoming a culture,” he said, adding that self-regulation was vital in containing the spread of infection despite the relaxed MCO.
He said the government had set up a special task force to monitor and enforce nationwide compliance with the SOP.
He said the task force comprised personnel from 14 government agencies including the armed forces, immigration department, Rela and the National Security Council.
He added that police chiefs in all districts had set up teams to monitor compliance with the enhanced movement control order. These teams comprise members from the police, armed forces, Rela and Civil Defence Force.
Ismail said the team would be allowed to take action under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 against individuals and industries which do not adhere to regulations.
As of today, he said, police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission had opened 259 investigation papers into fake news on Covid-19.
Of these, 179 are being investigated while 26 have been brought to court.
He said 17,835 people are still undergoing quarantine at 245 centres.
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