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KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR / ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – The Covid-19 pandemic, which has reached a critical level with a record number of cases, has taken its toll at the forefront, with the police, medical and health workers being the most affected. .
A shocking 10,000 police officers are now in quarantine, with more than 200 testing positive and in treatment.
The large number of affected police officers has put enormous pressure on the deployment of personnel and the police are now viewing the situation as a security problem.
When contacted, Interior Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin confirmed the effects on the police force, saying it had put great pressure on the workforce and their work.
He said police personnel had been the most exposed to the virus due to the nature of their work.
“The Covid-19 outbreak started in Malaysia in early February and the number of positive patients accumulated to about 10,000 in seven months, but during the current third wave of the pandemic, it touched about 11,000 in just two weeks,” he said .
Advocating for a stronger and more united struggle by Malaysians, he said the country was “running against time” and that it was necessary to end the relentless politics.
The impact on the police force, which has more than 100,000 members in all divisions, comes just weeks after a message from Health Director General Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah that those on the front lines must endure the situation despite being tired.
“For all of our leaders, we have a great battle ahead. Our country depends on us despite many nights of insomnia and chronic fatigue,” he tweeted.
In another post, he told frontline workers that “sometimes when you do something right, no one remembers, you do something wrong, no one forgets.”
“More importantly, most things in life are not obtained by taking, but by GIVING,” he wrote.
Paying tribute to the police force, Datuk Seri Hamzah said that many had worked tirelessly and had not taken days off or left in the past 10 months.
He urged Malaysians to follow Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s advice, adding that “this is not the time for unnecessary politicking, but for everyone to come together.”
“Many of our police officers have been infected because their job requires that they be in red zone areas during operations and checks.” They are also exposed when they control more than 500 barriers since the pandemic hit Malaysia, especially during the movement control order (MCO) phase.
“Despite wearing masks, their job requires them to be close to the person they are talking to, even if they are drivers inside vehicles.
“Social distancing is not something that can be perfectly practiced when you are a cop in a situation,” he told The Star.
On October 19 and 19, Cheras District Police Headquarters staff tested positive for Covid-19, said Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Saiful Azly Kamaruddin.
He said there were other members of the police staff at headquarters still awaiting test results from the district health office.
“The operations of the station will continue as usual and the SOP established by the government will be adopted to curb the spread of Covid-19,” he said.
Last week, it was reported that Petaling Jaya Police Chief Asst Comm Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal underwent a 14-day quarantine after coming into close contact with a Covid-19 case.
The official Facebook page of the Petaling Jaya Police reported that ACP Nik Ezanee had been in close contact with a district health officer (PKD) during several meetings and discussions about planning operations to curb the pandemic.
The PKD attended a meeting with a golf club security manager here, and (both) were confirmed positive.
Hamzah also said police resources had been “squeezed to the max” as the force had been helping the Immigration Department prevent foreigners from entering the country illegally.
“Our fear is that many of these illegals are using what is called lorong tikus or secret jungle trails. We believe that many of these illegals are also carriers of Covid-19,” he said.
Recently, security forces detained 497 illegal immigrants and 28 captains who tried to enter and leave Sarawak via illegal border routes between May 1 and October 18 during Ops Benteng.
The integrated operation, in which the Armed Forces, the police, the Malaysian Maritime Control Agency (MMEA), the Ministry of Health, the Customs and Immigration Departments and the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) participated, also had deported 56 illegal immigrants in the same period.
As a measure to curb the spread of Covid-19 by illegal immigrants, Ops Benteng under the National Task Force (NTF) coordinated by ATM as the lead agency continues to increase surveillance at border control in Sarawak, either on land or in the sea.
Hamzah said surveillance had been intensified in border areas, including the Kalimantan border, following the spike in Covid-19 cases in Sabah, adding that they also targeted lorong tikus in Sarawak.
He urged Malaysians to better understand the situation as to why the government needed additional tools to combat the pandemic.
“Is Law 342 (Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control Act of 1988) good enough to deal with the impact of the third wave of the pandemic?
“The answer is very subjective. Covid-19 began in Malaysia in early February and the number of positive patients accumulated to about 10,000 in seven months, while during the current third wave of the pandemic, it reached about 11,000 in just two. weeks.
“We are running out of time. This is not about politics or about helping certain politicians become Prime Minister.
“This is about saving lives, as the number of Covid-19 cases will continue to rise unless we do something drastic,” he said.
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