KUALA LUMPUR (March 25): The authorities will continue to take stern action against those who fail to comply with the Movement Control Order (MCO), the Prime Minister said.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said this is to ensure the effectiveness of the community isolation measure to flatten the curve of COVID-19 infections in Malaysia.

“Stern action by the authorities is necessary to ensure that the MCO achieves its main objective – to curb the spread of the virus. If the order is not complied with, then all our efforts would be wasted.

“There were still minor incidents reported in which people have been disobeying the MCO. The police and army have been mobilised to control the situation,” he said in a televised speech today.

According to the Prime MInister, the public’s compliance of the MCO stood at 95% on the eighth day of the partial lockdown.

He said authorities will shut down public places that are still visited by people and detain those who disregard the stay-at-home order.

“The most important thing is self-awareness. I thank those who are aware of the importance of staying at home. You follow my instructions. You know that this is good for you, your family and the people around you.

“Your awareness and sincerity in abiding by the rules imposed by the Government during this MCO period are highly commendable,” he added.

Noting that staying at home for a long period of time is challenging and has resulted in lifestyle changes, Muhyiddin said many people seemed to have started making the most of the situation.

“I have seen on Facebook that many have started exercising at home. Some used the Skype application to communicate with their colleagues. Even I use the Facetime application to video call with my grandchildren.

“Some mothers are trying out new recipes for their families while some fathers are leading group prayers with their family members. In short, we are all capable of adapting to the situation.

“Whatever obstacles we face in life, they should not dampen our spirit to continue living. As the saying goes, ‘when the going gets tough, only the tough gets going’,” Muhyiddin said.

It was reported yesterday that 28 people had been arrested so far and one person fined for defying the Government's movement curbs.

Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the Government was mulling over stricter movement controls in four COVID-19 hotspots here — Lembah Pantai, Titiwangsa, Kepong and Cheras — in a bid to stop the spread of the virus.