No places in N. Sembilan left out of MCO announcement

SEREMBAN, April 8 -- It came as a surprise to the authorities that there was an allegation claiming some villagers in a rural area in the state being unaware of the Movement Control Order (MCO).

The MCO, which has entered its 22nd day to break the COVID-19 chain, should have been well understood by the community, when it has been repeatedly announced every day over various media.

Besides that, announcements and reminders for the people to stay at home have also been carried out by various parties including the Information Department (Japen), through its Info On Wheel (IOW) programme, which is currently carried out in the orange, yellow and green zone areas.

Responding to an allegation that the residents of a village in Nilai did not understand about the danger of COVID-19 outbreak and the MCO directive, Negeri Sembilan Information Department director Shahnon Mohamad said that the announcement had been made throughout the state including remote areas, with no one left behind.

"Our officers have gone to housing estates, factories, estates, Orang Asli settlements, villages and cities, to broadcast the matter and provide information," he said when contacted by Bernama here today.

In affirming that the announcement on the MCO had covered 100 per cent of Negeri Sembilan, Shahnon said that the announcement in the red zone areas were carried out by the armed forces.

"It is baseless to say that there was an area left behind and was not informed about the MCO. But, there are a few people, in the cities and rural areas, who seemed to take MCO instruction and COVID-19 threat very lightly. It is not that they do not understand but it is their attitude in taking the matter lightly," he said.

Meanwhile, Nilai district police chief Supt Mohd Nor Marzukee Besar, said the level of public compliance in Nilai had reached 98 per cent.

"Actually, it is not a problem of the public understanding MCO, but some are just stubborn. All housing estates and the foreign worker quarters have complied to the order," he said.

In the meantime, he reminded that stern actions would be taken to those who disobeyed the MCO directive and he also advised parents to keep an eye on their children.

-- BERNAMA