Minister tells supermarts not to make own law on masks
Published on: Saturday, May 09, 2020
By: Bernama
Shoppers wearing masks inside a supermarket.
PUTRAJAYA: Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has called on the management of supermarkets not to make their own law which is against the provisions under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).This includes requiring customers to wear face masks before entering their premises, he said.
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“Wearing a face mask is not mandatory and not wearing one is not an offence under Act 342,” he told a daily press conference here Friday.
He said this in response to complaints from various parties who claimed that they were stopped from entering supermarkets for not wearing face masks.
Ismail Sabri said although it was not mandatory, the government encouraged the public to wear face masks especially for those who are symptomatic.
Ismail Sabri also suggested to the supermarkets to sell face mask to customers who are not wearing one.
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“If the supermarkets want to encourage people to wear a face mask, I suggest they sell it...one is enough to allow them in,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said 91 public sanitation operations covering 26 red and yellow zones in 11 states were carried out yesterday.
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To date, 245 quarantine centres are still operating with 16,820 individuals undergoing the mandatory quarantine process, he said.
On the process of sending students back to their hometowns, Ismail Sabri said a total of 6,517 students from the public and private institutions of higher learning had been sent home.
Meanwhile, supermarkets, shopping malls and food premises are not the only establishments taking heed of the government’s call to practise Covid-19 precautionary measures as outlined by the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Taking matters into their own hands, a number of residential areas in the city have been practising self-imposed restrictions to fight this ‘invisible enemy’ that can affect anyone of any age, gender and social class.
Furthermore, there is still no vaccine to prevent this killer virus.
A building superintendent for a condominium in Sentul, Sharifah Zawiyah Khusair said, the management decided to keep visitors out as a preventive measure and residents were asked to get their food deliveries at the guard’s posts.
“Sanitisers are also provided at the guard post and lift entrance, to avoid the risk of Covid-19 infection, besides putting up notices to remind the residents to be careful.
“Besides that, we closed all facilities including the swimming pool, gymnasium and playground here since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was enforced since March 18,” he told Bernama today.
Meanwhile, chairman of Resident Association of Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) Malay Village in Kepong, Datuk Md Nor Hashim said they did not allow outsiders to engage in any exercise activities in the village.
“Our area is a popular spot for people to jog but during this CMCO (Conditional Movement Control Order), I have not seen any joggers in the area,” he said.
Wangsa Maju resident Mohd Amir Rahim, 27 said although rules set by the building management were cumbersome, they were necessary to curb the spread of the virus.
“In my 27 years of living, I have never thought that I would be ‘scanned’ daily. If the body temperature is more than 38-degree Celcius, your name and house unit will be recorded and you are advised to get immediate treatment,” he explained.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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