Coronavirus: Malaysia brings in army to enforce partial lockdown amid outbreak

The Malaysian army will be deployed to assist police in ensuring that people stay in their homes

Malaysians with Singapore work permits will be able to continue working in the city state, with ‘appropriate health screening’

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Police officers check vehicles at a roadblock to ensure that people adhere to a movement control order to block the spread of the new coronavirus in Malaysia. The army will be deployed to help the police. Photo: AP

Published: 2:19pm, 20 Mar 2020Updated: 10:11pm, 20 Mar 2020

Malaysia will deploy the army from Sunday to assist police in enforcing a restricted movement order aimed at reining in the spread of a coronavirus outbreak, the government said.

Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the army would assist the police in monitoring the situation and ensuring that people stayed in their homes. He said about 60 per cent of people had done so on Wednesday, the first day the order was enforced, when police conducted hundreds of roadblocks and checked thousands of vehicles.

The partial lockdown, announced on Monday, requires people to remain at home until the end of March, unless they are purchasing or delivering necessities, seeking health care or performing official duties.

Police officers check vehicles at roadblock to ensure that people abide by the movement control order in downtown Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AP

Travelling abroad is banned and the more than 400,000 people who cross into Singapore from Malaysia’s southernmost state of Johor for work and school are not free to leave and return as they please.

Anyone found breaching the order faces up to six months in jail, a fine, or both.

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