Malaysia may use military to enforce COVID-19 measures

Authorities say over 10,000 participants of mass religious gathering identified, urged to do medical tests

ANKARA: Malaysia on Thursday said it could deploy its armed forces to fully implement movement controls placed to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said using the armed forces to prevent the spread of the virus "was among the suggestions raised at the special meeting on COVID-19 on non-health related matters," local daily The Star reported.

"I hope that this will not be necessary but if the compliance rate remains low, there is a big possibility that the military will be used [to get people to stay at home]," Yakoob told reporters.

Malaysia recently imposed the measures, known as the Movement Control Order (MCO), on Wednesday to run until the end of the month. It includes a ban on non-essential workplaces and urges people to stay at home.

Yaakob cited police figures showing a roughly 60% public compliance rate with the MCO precautions.



Malaysia has reported 790 cases of COVID-19. Two people have died of the disease, with nearly 60 others recovering.

Malaysian officials announced they had traced over 10,000 attendees of a mass religious gathering held last month amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Daily Malay Mail.

10,000-person prayer gathering

Urging participants of the gathering to apply for medical tests, Health Director-General Datuk Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah said one of the participants died on Wednesday.

Noor Hisham added that 10,650 such people were traced.

"Up until midnight March 19, 2020 [March 18, 2020, 1600GMT], 10,553 of the tabligh [Islam preaching] congregants that attended the gathering at Masjid Jamek Seri Petaling have been checked, 4,986 samples taken and 513 positives," he said on Twitter.

Since first being detected in Wuhan, China in December, the novel coronavirus has claimed 8,810 lives globally, most in China, according to global data maintained by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

At least 218,823 cases of the virus have been confirmed in at least 158 countries and territories, with Europe as the new epicentre of the pandemic, according to the World Health Organisation.

Despite the rising number of cases, most people who get infected suffer mild symptoms and recover.