Army deployment comes under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 only, and not for enforcing the dreaded Emergency Ordinance.
Police and army personnel will patrol supermarkets and markets to ensure Malaysians obey social distancing rules during the movement control order (MCO) period, senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.
“I want to advise consumers, we understand your need to buy daily necessities, but please, observe social distancing.
“To ensure this, we have allowed the police and army to be in markets and supermarkets,” Ismail Sabri, who is also defence minister, said in a press conference after an inter-ministerial meeting on the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia.
“We find that people in several areas are still not following the order, such as in morning markets and supermarkets.
“We see customers crowding together. They are not following the advice to practise social distancing by standing at least one metre apart.”
He said local and municipal council officers have been given authority to be present at markets and supermarkets to ensure shoppers abide by social distancing rules.
He added 50,000 uniformed personnel are on the ground to enforce the movement control order.
This includes the army, police and local government officers.
“We will also see where more deployment is needed, we’ll look at places with a higher risk of transmission.”
He has quashed rumours and chatter on WhatsApp and social media that the army would act violently against those who disobey the control order.
“The army is only here to help the police, such as helping to tell people to stay home.
“The army is deployed under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act, not under emergency laws. So, they will act according to the law.”
Ismail said that 50,000 personnel from the police, Armed Forces, Malaysian Marine Enforcement Agency (APMM), Malaysian Volunteers Corps (Rela), local councils and others are now being deployed all over the country to help with the MCO.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Armed Forces personnel have been sighted across several district police headquarters in the Klang Valley to assist local law enforcement in manning checkpoints and public movement under the nationwide MCO which has now entered its fifth day.
Earlier today, two trucks transporting Armed Force personnel arrived at the Shah Alam police headquarters at 11am.
It is understood that the Shah Alam district police would be assisted by the 502nd Territorial Army Regiment from Sungai Buloh Camp consisting of 30 personnel, including one officer.
Immediately after their arrival, the personnel were screened before they were given a briefing by Shah Alam police chief Assistant Commissioner Baharudin Mat Taib.
According to police, several checkpoints have been identified in Sri Muda, Bukit Jelutong and Seksyen 6 where Armed Forces personnel have been deployed.
When met by reporters, Baharudin said public movement in the city has dwindled since the first day of the MCO.
“What I can summarise is that maybe five to 10 percent of the public can be seen outdoors. We hope the public understands and know about the seriousness of the hazards posed by Covid-19,” he said.