INTERSTATE travel approval letters issued by the International Trade and Industries Ministry (MITI) for business and work purposes were disallowed for four days, effective today, as certain individuals were found misusing them to return to their hometowns for the upcoming Aidiladha holidays.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said a similar situation occurred during the Aidilfitri celebrations on May 12, which later triggered 36 COVID-19 clusters.
“I think everyone would have started their holidays today (in conjunction with Aidiladha)… during the last Hari Raya Aidilfitri, hundreds of thousands travelled interstate for various reasons, including using the interstate travel letter meant for work.
“There probably are also those who use their ‘expertise’ to evade the police by travelling through plantation roads and so on, but you can’t deceive COVID-19,” he told reporters after visiting the drive-thru vaccination centre (PPV) at the Jempol district office hall in Bandar Seri Jempol today.
Ismail Sabri once again reminded the public not to take their chances and try to cross districts or states for the upcoming holidays, and instead take heed from the spike in COVID-19 cases.
Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani announced earlier that the police will not accept documents from MITI as a valid movement permit for the four-day period, from July 18 until 21, for interstate travels.
He said this was following detection of an increased number of vehicles on the highways, over the past few days.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri, who is also the Defence Minister, said the ministry has yet to receive any application from the Health Ministry (MOH) for more field hospitals to be set up.
However, he added that his ministry was ready to build four more field hospitals to help contain the pandemic, after the recruitment of 30 doctors and 100 healthcare workers on contract recently.
He said so far there were six field hospitals established in Pokok Sena, Kedah; Tawau, Sabah; Kapit, Sarawak; Kepala Batas, Penang, Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru and Labuan.
On the programme today, the Bera MP said more drive-thru PPVs should be opened in other locations to accelerate the vaccination process in the country. – July 18, 2021.
Photo credit: Malay Mail
