Three areas under 'semi-enhanced' MCO - two in Selayang, one in Chow Kit

• UPDATED 12.48PM | Added reactions from Chow Kit residents.
• UPDATED 12.18PM | Update to reflect the imposition of 'semi-enhanced MCO'.

CORONAVIRUS | Three new areas, two in Selayang and one in Chow Kit, have been placed under a “semi-enhanced movement control order (MCO)”.

The three areas are Taman Wilayah and Taman Desa Bakti in Selayang, as well as Jalan Raja Bot, where the Chow Kit market is located.

However, a source from the Kuala Lumpur Crisis Management Centre (CMC) said unlike the enhanced MCO, these three locations are placed under semi-enhanced MCO which allows for movements in and out the affected areas.

“You can enter and exit the area but security will be tightened,” the source said when contacted by Malaysiakini.

Residents of the affected areas began posting about a possible lockdown on social media in the wee hours of the morning, with videos showing authorities cordoning off the areas and installing razor wires.

Malaysiakini learnt that they have been placed under the order sometime between late last night and the early hours of this morning.

This came on top of the announcement by Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday that the enhanced MCO for several areas in Selayang Baru and Bandar Baru Utara were extended.

It was also reported yesterday that according to the Health Ministry, a large cluster of new Covid-19 infections came from Chow Kit market, where 16 new local transmissions were found.

Malaysiakini earlier this morning reported the three new areas to be under enhanced MCO, as confirmed by an official from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Meanwhile, Deputy Federal Territories Minister Edmund Santhara also later clarified that these areas were not placed under enhanced MCO but "semi-enhanced" MCO to allow for Covid-19 testing on residents and foreign workers.

The areas reportedly contain large percentages of foreign workers residing and working there.

He told Free Malaysia Today that people were allowed to move in and out of the areas if they had valid reasons.

"Business can operate as usual," he was quoted as saying.

He was further quoted saying Selayang residents were consulted on the move but not the residents at Chow Kit.

A resident from Taman Wilayah later told Malaysiakini that police were allowing citizens to leave the residential area for work.

"Those with Mykad can leave the area, but not the migrant workers," the resident said.

'Migrant workers fled the area'

Checks at Chow Kit found razor wire installed around the market at Jalan Raja Bot and the surrounding roads at Jalan Raja Alang and Jalan Haji Hussein, while roadblocks are set up at the main roads of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz.

Previously, DBKL had closed down Jalan Raja Bot Pasar (formerly known as Chow Kit market) from April 28 to May 13 to carry out sanitisation work following a Covid-19 outbreak.

Commercial shoplots and hotels were spotted inside the semi-enhanced MCO area, but it is not known whether these premises are affected as there are many access roads and small paths available to local residents.

A Sikh temple, the Guru Nanak Darbar Tatt Khalsa Diwan Gudwara, is also affected.

The surrounding residential and commercial areas of the market, however, are not affected with grocery, wholesale and other shops still opened for business.

Even so, one resident expressed uncertainty if the new move, aimed at facilitating the authorities to conduct tests against migrant workers at the market, would be successful.

"I was still awake at 3am today and I recorded the scene of the army fencing off the areas. Several migrant workers fled the area the moment (the police and the army) came,” he said.

Another resident told Malaysiakini that security officers only allowed people to enter the Chow Kit area from Jalan Raja Alang with valid reasons.

Even so, police had earlier today prevented two staff of Sikh media Malaya Samachar from entering their office premises at Jalan Raja Alang to work.

"We came to work today, but we were not allowed to enter the area," said Bhupinderjit Kaur, the editor of Malaya Samachar when met there.

This is despite her furnishing a copy of an approval letter for her to work to the police officer concerned.

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