Borneo Bulletin Digital

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World 26 MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2020
Southeast Asia
SINGAPORE (CNA) - Singapore
reported 596 new cases of
COVID19 yesterday, bringing the
total number of infections in the
country to 6,588.
Twenty-‡ive were Singapore
citizens or permanent residents,
while the vast majority were
work permit holders residing in
foreign worker dormitories, the
Singaporean Ministry of Health said
in a press release announcing the
preliminary numbers.
In a clari‡ication regarding
Saturday's release, the ministry said
on its website that the COVID19
daily update had included cases
that were con‡irmed and veri‡ied
after 12 noon.
These cases had been included
in the clusters case listing, the
ministry said in a special notice on
its website.
"We have amended the listing
to exclude them from the Annex
of the April 18 press release," the
ministry added.
Citingsigni‡icantpublic interest,
the ministry has begun releasing
the daily numbers earlier in the day,
while sharing details on the cases
at night.
Singapore’s Ministry of
Manpower announced on Saturday
that all work permit holders and S
Pass holders in the construction
sector would be placed on
mandatory stay-home notices.
While the recent rise in the
number of foreign workers in-
fected with the coronavirus has
mostly been concentrated in dormi-
tories, there have been cases at
construction worksites.
"Contact tracing suggests
that transmissions at common
construction worksites may have
contributed to the increase in
numbers," said the ministry.
"Thus far, the cases detected
among workers living outside the
dormitories have been low. All those
infected and their close contacts
have been isolated."
Employers whose workers
are affected by the latest stay-
home notice are required to make
arrangements for them such as
providing food, and ensuring that
their addresses and mobile phone
numbers registered with the
ministry are up to date.
Yesterday was the seventh day
of Singapore's month-long "circuit
breaker" - a period with enhanced
safe distancing measures in a bid to
stem the spread of COVID19. Most
workplaces are closed and schools
have transitioned to full home-
based learning.
Singapore said there are "a few
early signs" that the circuit breaker
is bringing down local cases in the
broader community.
"But we are still worried about
hidden cases circulating in our
population, which are keeping the
outbreak going," he added.
"The next few days will be
critical. All of us must do our part,
in order to defeat COVID19."
Singapore reports 596 new
cases, majority from dorms
Residents queue for their food at Tuas South foreign workers dormitory that has been placed under government
restriction as preventive measure against the spread of the COVID19 coronavirus in Singapore. PHOTO: AFP
PUTRAJAYA (BERNAMA) - A total of
11 temporary prisons for those who
violate the Malaysian movement
control order (MCO) will begin
operations from April 23, said
Senior Minister (Security Cluster)
Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said the government made
the decision to have the temporary
prisons after consultations with the
Attorney-General’s Chambers.
"The (Malaysian) Ministry of
Health will deploy its health workers
at the temporary prisons," he told a
daily press conference on the MCO
developments here yesterday.
In addition, he said the number
of individuals detained for violating
the MCO nationwide dropped to
1,111 on Saturday from 1,565 the
previous day.
Out of this number, 997 were
remanded while 114 on police bail,
bringing the cumulative ‡igure of
arrests to 14,750.
The authorities conducted 820
roadblocks nationwide on Saturday
and checked 451,487 vehicles,
Ismail Sabri said. He added that a
total of 51,706 spot checks were
also conducted nationwide with
5,861 premises checked.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said
the Housing and Local Government
Ministry (KPKT) had carried out
2,627 public sanitation operations
in 105 zones including 29 red zones
since March 30.
On the initiative of the local
community to self-regulate their
area, Ismail Sabri said the Malaysian
government welcomed the move
but they needed to seek advice and
consultation with the police.
"We understand that they want
to protect their area. They would
not want someone from a red zone
to enter their community.”
Malaysia to open 11 prisons for MCO violators
JAKARTA (AFP) - Nine people
were killed by a landslide at an
illegal gold mine in Sumatra, an
Indonesian of‡icial said yesterday.
The accident happened on
Saturday in South Solok in West
Sumatra province when a group
of 12 people were digging for
gold at an abandoned mine. The
area has several abandonedmines
from the colonial era.
"Eight men and one woman
went in to dig and were buried
by a landslide. We evacuated
their bodies early this morning,"
district spokesman Firdaus Fir-
man told AFP.
Three people keeping watch
reported the accident to local
of‡icials when the group failed to
emerge from the mine.
The victims were local farmers
digging the gold without proper
equipment or protective gear.
The location and the rainy weather
also hampered rescue efforts.
"All victims are accounted for
and there's no more missing,"
Firman said, adding that police
and the local disaster agency
are investigating.
Illegal and unlicensed mines
are prevalent across mineral-
rich Indonesia and the scene of
frequent accidents.
In early 2019 at least 16
people were buried alive when
a mine collapsed in the Bolaang
Mongondow region of North
Sulawesi, where ‡ive miners were
killed a few months earlier in a
similar accident.
Nine killed in mining accident
KUALA LUMPUR (AP) - Human
Rights Watch said on Saturday
that the coronavirus pandemic
doesn't justify Malaysia's turning
away of overloaded boats
carrying Rohingya and risking the
refugees' lives.
The New York-based rights
group noted that Malaysia had
recently pushed back to sea at
least two boatloads of Rohingya
refugees. Despite Malaysia's
partial coronavirus lockdown that
prevents foreigners from entering
the country, Human Rights Watch
said the pandemic should not be
an excuse for a blanket policy of
turning away boats in distress.
“Malaysia’s claims to support
the rights of the Rohingya mean
shockingly little when they push
desperate refugees back to sea,”
said Human Rights Watch Asia
Director Phil Robertson. “The
COVID19 pandemic does not
create a justi‡ication for risking
the lives of refugees.”
Malaysia has previously
protested the persecution of the
Rohingya and sought justice for
them. But its navy on Thursday
intercepted a boat with some
200 Rohingya refugees off its
northern coast and prevented it
from entering Malaysian waters.
The fate of that boat is unknown.
Malaysia urged to allow
Rohingya refugee boats to land
Rohingya refugees gather after being rescued in Teknaf near Cox’s
Bazar, Bangladesh. PHOTO: AP
KUALA LUMPUR (BERNAMA) - The
use of drones by the Malaysian
authorities during the third phase
of the movement control order
(MCO) has proven to be effective
in giving announcements and
alerts to the public to comply with
the directive to curb the spread
of COVID19.
The drones were introduced
in the ‡irst phase of the MCO
and the technology was ex-
tensively used by the Royal
Malaysia Police (PDRM) and
Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM)
to convey information as well
as monitor the movement of
the people. The drones are
equipped with loudspeakers to
make announcements in three
languages namely Malay, Chinese
and Tamil, for the public to stay
at home.
The main areas where
drones have been deployed
are the COVID19 hotspots and
Enhanced Movement Control
Order (EMCO) areas.
ATM Chief General Affendi
Buang said the use of drones
was extended to the third phase
as it was effective in conveying
information, adding that the
agency will continue using drones
especially to ensure that people
comply with the MCO fully.
Drones effective as MCO tool