Stay put compliance for MCO now 95%, but cops say many still attempt a cat-and-mouse game with the law

While driving is not completely restricted during the movement control order (MCO) period, many are still unwilling to comply with the call to stay home unless necessary. Sure, going out for necessities and food isn’t an issue, but not when you drive well out of the way for that.

Some may even be driving without a destination, just to get out of the house, and are prepared to hoodwink authorities for that purpose. The police has warned the public that they need to have a valid reason as to why they are out driving about, and to be truthful, as The Star reports.

According to Sentul OCPD ACP S. Shanmugamoorthy, some motorists are playing a cat-and-mouse game with police and army personnel manning roadblocks in the city, lying about reasons when questioned by the cops.

Stay put compliance for MCO now 95%, but cops say many still attempt a cat-and-mouse game with the law

“We discovered there are still those who are stubborn and try to lie to the authorities. In one case, the person handed out a letter supposedly showing that he worked for an essential service business, but there was no phone number for his employer. Feeling suspicious, I checked with the companies commission of Malaysia (SSM) and discovered that the company was not listed under essential services,” he said.

“I also encountered a man who claimed to want to buy food at a nearby restaurant, but he could not name the restaurant,” he added.

Shanmugamoorthy urged the people to be honest about their purpose of being on the road, and urged those who really had no reason to be out to stay home. “Complying with the MCO is for the benefit of all as we want to break the chain of Covid-19. Cooperate with us and stay at home,” he said.

Stay put compliance for MCO now 95%, but cops say many still attempt a cat-and-mouse game with the law

Meanwhile, defence minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that the level of stay put compliance from the public had now reached 95%, up from 60% last week, but reminded everyone to be diligent and stay where they are. He added that action will be taken against those who fail to comply with police orders.

Again, we remind everyone that if it is absolutely necessary for you to get provisions, medical supplies and food, please make it fast and limit the distance travelled for those purposes, and remember the one person per car rule. You can try switching to delivery services for food as much as possible, or at least on alternate occasions, in a bid to heed the government’s call to just stay at home.

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