In light of all the restrictions that have been implemented in Malaysia since March 2020, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that he is willing to be the “bad boy” by imposing these strict standard operating procedures (SOP) in order to protect the people from Covid-19
In a press conference yesterday (1 March), he admitted that all these restrictions have affected the people, but added that the government had to take drastic measures in shutting down economic sectors and forcing people to stay at home since March 2020.
He said that at that time, it was only a little over two weeks after Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s cabinet, including himself, started working in their respective ministries, before the Movement Control Order (MCO) was announced on 16 March and implemented on 18 March.
“What we are doing is our own mold,” he said, reported Berita Harian.
Ismail Sabri also said that there were no guidelines to control the pandemic at that time, since other countries had not taken such measures yet.
“The government was forced to announce the Movement Control Order (MCO) from 18 March because the people’s lives are more important than anything. Thank God, we see that we were successful,” he said.
“It’s true that I’m the ‘bad boy’ because I closed (the borders). I had to introduce strict SOPs and all that, but it was between lives and livelihoods. For us, the people’s lives are very important and must be protected.”
“That is why we introduced the first MCO which is so tight that there is no movement, all just sit at home.”
Even so, he said, the government still ensured that the SOPs introduced during the MCO were complied with and roadblocks and border controls were still implemented to control the presence of illegal immigrants (PATI) including empowering Ops Benteng.
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