PETALING JAYA: The time for warning people to abide by the movement control order (MCO) is over and it is now time for arrests, says Selangor deputy police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Arjunaidi Mohamed.
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He said after two phases of the MCO, the public should already know what they could or could not do during this period.
“We will no longer warn and give advice. Now we will arrest those who defy the MCO.
“Many have asked why we are not using the soft approach by just warning people. But we have been letting people off with warnings and advice.
“I think it is enough already. Now is the time to act, ” he told reporters after launching the Aberdeen Patrol System at the Damansara police station here yesterday.
The launch was witnessed by Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal.
Under the Aberdeen Patrol System, a police vehicle will drop off some personnel to patrol an area on foot, move on to another area and then come back to pick them up later.DCP Arjunaidi said he hoped the system would be more effective and lead to more efficient work.
“We will study the system in use here and decide if we will introduce it to other districts, ” he said.
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He added that these patrols would be done in six-hour shifts and that policemen would patrol on foot on an hourly basis.
“They will focus on places where people gather such as markets and commercial areas, ” he said.
When asked about the MCO compliance rate in Selangor in recent days, he said within the last 24 hours alone, police had arrested 316 people for defying the order.
“Since the MCO was announced (on March 18), we have arrested 2,255 individuals for various offences, including obstructing a public servant.
“And 1,050 of these individuals have been charged in court, including 93 on Wednesday, ” he added.
Meanwhile, ACP Nik Ezanee said that in the last three days, the MCO compliance had dropped to 80%.
“We noticed the drop this week compared with the 90% compliance rate previously.
“People need to know that the battle is not over. Don’t take it lightly. We all need to do our part and stay home, ” he said. – The Star