While Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador and former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye feel the roadblocks are still necessary to control the spread of Covid-19, a lawyer disagrees.
Rafique Rashid Ali said roadblocks are ineffective and the police resources needed to man them could be put to better use.
Former prime minister Najib Razak has also mocked the roadblocks, saying motorists can now give all manner of excuses to travel since all sectors are open, except Parliament.
Reactions from netizens on his Facebook post have been mixed, with many feeling roadblocks are still needed for now.
Hamid said that after almost a year on the ground manning roadblocks, his men were experienced enough to sniff out culprits who try and fake their way through to travel inter-district or beyond the 10km permitted radius.
“A fraction may be able to bluff their way to beat restrictions on cross-district and cross-border travel.
“But these culprits must remember that CCTV and the Touch n Go data at the highway toll plazas records can be used as evidence,” he told FMT.
Hamid added that MySejahtera App records could also be used against them, adding that the number of patrols has been increased and widened to ensure the rakyat follow Covid-10 regulations.
Lee said roadblocks should continue as they will stop people from travelling beyond a certain radius, adding that it will help to contain Covid-19 transmission.
By restricting travel, he said the government would be able to carry out immediate and effective contact tracing or implement the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) instead of a nationwide MCO if the number of cases go up.
“People will not travel in groups as large gatherings can act as super spreaders and it will also stop people from travelling unnecessarily within districts.”
However, he said clearer guidelines were needed for inter-district travel and the 10km radius restrictions as some have to cross borders for hospital appointments, among others.
Rafique, however, said roadblocks are ineffective.
“Our frontliners, especially security forces can be better utilised elsewhere. If it is just for purposes of standing as guards, then you have to sympathise with them.
“If roadblocks are needed, set them at state borders to stop interstate travel,” he told FMT.
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