PUTRAJAYA, April 13 ― Authorities have not detected any illegal entry of foreigners along the country’s borders, including via “jalan tikus” (uncharted routes) to date, said Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the Immigration Department and the Malaysian Border Security Agency (Aksem) had intensified control along the borders, in particular suspected secret routes, as part of efforts to curb the spread of the Covid-19 infections that could be brought in by illegal immigrants.
“We have closed our borders to prevent entries of illegal immigrants and we also increased our security to ensure no foreigners can sneak into the country,” he said after the meeting of the Special Ministerial Committee on the movement control order (MCO) here today.
Ismail Sabri who is also Defence Minister said stern action would be taken against foreigners who entered this country using these uncharted routes.
Meanwhile, he said the meeting agreed that all foreign fishermen boats that were caught trying to encroach the country’s waters would be chased away.
He said the action would be enforced by the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency which have been entrusted with controlling the country’s waters.
On Malaysians stranded in countries that are under lockdown due to Covid-19, Ismail Sabri said the Ministry of Transport would arrange special flights to ferry them home if it received approvals from host countries.
However, he said the repatriation cost would be borne by the involved Malaysians.
Meanwhile, the minister said 1,471 individuals were arrested yesterday for violating MCO and of the total, 949 were compounded, 503 individuals have been remanded, 19 were released on police bail and the other 51 to be charged in court.
On quarantine centres, he said 174 centres were currently in operations, while 13,575 individuals were under mandatory 14-day isolation, including 390 returnees who arrived home yesterday.
He also said 114 sanitation operations had been carried out in 43 zones in 12 states, including 33 areas in Johor and 19 in Pahang yesterday.
— Bernama
