KUALA LUMPUR, 7 April 2020:
The government has decided to enforce the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) at the Selangor Mansion and Malayan Mansion buildings in Jalan Masjid India here, effective today.
Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakon said the decision to execute the fourth directive of the EMCO was made upon the advice of the Ministry of Health (MoH) after 15 positive cases of Covid-19 were recorded at the two buildings.
He said the EMCO involving around 6,000 residents in 365 residential and commercial units in the building, takes effect from today until all residents are screened.
“With the execution and throughout the duration of the EMCO, all residents are prohibited from exiting the area; all non-residents and visitors are prohibited from entering the area; and, all entry and exit points will be sealed.
“All residents will also be required to undergo Covid-19 screening and a medical base will be set up in the EMCO area,” he told a press conference after chairing the meeting of the Special Ministerial Committee on the MCO here today.
Ismail Sabri also called on the residents to remain calm and to give their full cooperation to MoH officers and to comply with the authorities’ instructions.
To ensure the compliance of the EMCO, Royal Malaysia Police, Malaysian Armed Forces, Civil Defence Force, the Kuala Lumpur City Council and RELA will administer the area, he said.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) Crisis Management Centre will discuss with the high commissions of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh here to relay information about the Covid-19 pandemic to their nationals living in the Masjid India area.
Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said: “There are three foreign communities there from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan… we will contact the three high commissions soonest possible for a briefing as it involves their citizens.
“Insya-Allah, this evening we will give an explanation to the residents there, we ask that they (high commissions) bring people who can speak Urdu, Tamil and Bengali so that the residents will understand the message. They need to cooperate, this is not a form of punishment but a way to help them.”
Annuar said residents in the Masjid India area do not have to fear or worry about any action as the authorities only wanted to ensure that infected individuals do not escape and spread the disease.
He said so far no new areas in the Federal Territory have shown signs of Covid-19, except in Sri Petaling, Masjid India and the Selayang Wholesale Market.
The EMCO had earlier been enforced at three other locations – Simpang Renggam in Kluang, Johor; Sungai Lui in Hulu Langat, Selangor; and Menara City One in Jalan Munshi Abdullah in the capital.
Today, more than 400 packages of basic necessities amounting to RM42,500 were handed over for distribution to residents of Menara City One, in a joint initiative by the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department, Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation and Lembaga Tabung Haji, with logistics cooperation from the Department of Social Welfare, Malaysian Armed Forces and Malaysian Civil Defence Force.
– Bernama