Meeting to discuss nationwide MCO will be held tomorrow - Takiyuddin

KOTA BHARU, May 20  -- Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will chair a meeting tomorrow to discuss the nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO).

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the matter would be assessed and decided in the COVID-19 National Security Council (MKN) in Putrajaya tomorrow.

"A full-scale MCO is among measures to be considered by the NSC and this will be discussed before any decision is made.

"All menteris besar and chief ministers will also sit  in the 3pm meeting," he told reporters after the Kelantan State Special Security Committee (JKKN) meeting chaired by Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob at Kota Darulnaim Complex here today.

Takiyuddin said the federal government sees the spread of COVID-19 as very serious and based on yesterday's statistics, Malaysia has recorded a total of 485,496 or close to half a million positive cases.

He said the death toll has reached over 2,000 and this was a matter of great concern, but the government was aware that the number of recoveries too have increased with the cooperation of the Ministry of Health and the police.

Takiyuddin said the government had implemented the MCO, Recovery MCO, Conditional MCO and Enhanced MCO either fully or targeted depending on the situation to curb the spread of the virus.

He said while positive cases must be treated and isolated fast, control measures were just as important as prevention is better than cure.

"That is why we have been emphasising on SOP compliance and as part of the preventive measures  SOP teams led by the police, MAF and so forth have been mobilised,” he said adding that the latest was to get the local authorities involved to help curb transmission.

He said the alarming increase in cases in Kelantan for example, which has exceeded 20,000 would also be highlighted to create awareness on the danger and the need to always remain vigilant.

-- BERNAMA