By Ashwin Kumar
PETALING JAYA, March 20 — Shoppers at the Section 17 morning market, here this morning, were asked to disperse as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Petaling Jaya district police chief ACP Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal said police were initially alerted of a huge crowd of shoppers at the wet market at 9am.
"After receiving the report, police contacted the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and was informed that the market was gazetted as a public market (pasar awam).
"We then informed the Health Ministry (MOH) and dispatched our personnel there to advise the public on the risk of contracting Covid-19 in large crowds, and had asked them to leave the premise," Ezanee said in a statement today.
However, he added, the public was cooperative and had left the area in 15 minutes.
"A lot of the Petaling Jaya residents are law-abiding citizens. Perhaps there were a few of those who were unclear of the risks," he added.
On Monday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced the Federal government's decision to impose the movement control order (MCO) to flatten the curve of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The order is effective from March 18 to 31.
