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CONFUSION and anger were some of the sentiments of Klang residents who were informed of a conditional motion control order (MCO), which went into effect yesterday, without further information.
It was only long after that they spoke about standard operating procedures (SOPs) and affected areas.
Residents had prepared for the worst, only to find that commuting could continue as normal.
The two-week conditional MCO involves 36 neighborhoods in Klang.
However, the police are blocking access only to parts of Taman Bayu Perdana and Taman Sri Andalas in southern Klang, and Kampung Kuantan in northern Klang.
Any movement in and out of those restricted areas must be accompanied by a police permit.
A StarMetro team that drove to those areas yesterday saw concrete barricades around the two neighborhoods in South Klang.
There was also a police presence in the two areas and in random locations around the city.
Movement through the city seemed normal, although with fewer vehicles. It seemed like an ordinary day.
This could also be due to residents’ confusion as to whether they could leave their homes or leave the royal city.
“It bothers me that this news was only shared with us late at night and found out at night that I need to get the consent of the police to leave my home,” said Celine Cheah, a resident of Taman Sri Andalas.
Cheah, in his 60s, said he had no idea where to apply for the permit, as news reports said it could be done at mobile police stations, but the locations of these stations were not provided.
Attorney Roxanne Seah was confused by the late announcement, as it was unclear whether people from outside of Klang could enter the city for work.
A restaurant in Taman Bayu Perdana stopped dinner service and only allowed takeout.
“We received different information from different sources and it was really difficult for us employers, as we didn’t know what to say to our staff and clients, whether we are open or not,” he said.
Seah, who travels from Kelana Jaya to Klang for work, said everyone in the office didn’t know what to expect and came to work anyway.
Caleb Khoo, a resident of Ambang Botanic, suggested that the government should have prepared all their information before making the announcement.
“I wasn’t really worried about the conditional MCO, but I wanted there to be better communication,” said Khoo, who lives in Bandar Botanic, which is next door to Bandar Bukit Tinggi who is under the conditional MCO.
On social media, frustrated residents also searched for information about whether they were allowed to dine at food establishments.
Klang deputy Charles Santiago yesterday urged the federal government to discuss matters with state and local governments before making the announcements to avoid unnecessary panic among residents.
He asked why the conditional MCO was implemented only in selected neighborhoods within Mukim Klang.
“I have residents in Bandar Parklands and other places within Mukim Klang who ask me if they can operate as usual or if they are also subject to SOP,” he said.
Santiago urged the National Security Council to be more transparent and explain why only some municipalities and neighborhoods were chosen.
“According to information from the Ministry of Health, all the cases in Klang were isolated and dealt with quickly at the time they were notified of a case.
“All close contacts have been traced, examined and quarantined for 14 days,” he said, adding that the Health Ministry did an excellent job of containing the spread.
He urged the ministry to update everyone on the latest situation to avoid chaos and panic.
Santiago said some Klang residents have moved out of the royal city for two weeks or had to rush home for fear of not being able to be with their families.
Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Selangor Police Chief Datuk Noor Azam Jamaludin has advised people living near the barricades to receive a letter from their employers so that they can enter and leave their neighborhood.
Stating that a police permit was not required, he said that if they were unable to do so, they could download the form from the Facebook pages of the Klang Selatan, Klang Utara and Shah Alam police headquarters, or obtain it at roadblocks.
He also reminded the public to fill out the form clearly to avoid creating a long line when going through roadblocks.
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