TAPAH, Aug 12 — To date, a total of 784 Orang Asli residents in Mukim Bidor, who are under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO), have tested positive for COVID-19 and eight have succumbed to the virus.
Perak police chief Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said the data was based on the Batang Padang district health office (PKD) screening on 5,165 residents in Kampung Senta, Kampung Chang and Kampung Sanding during the EMCO period which came into effect yesterday (Wednesday).
“We will take full control until the PKD completes the screening of the Orang Asli population in the Batang Padang district,” he told reporters after inspecting the implementation of EMCO at Batu 7, Jalan Pahang, here, today.
On Monday, Senior Foreign Affairs Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the EMCO was implemented simultaneously on 23 Orang Asli villages of the Semai tribe in the Batang Padang district, starting yesterday until Aug 24.
Meanwhile, Mior Faridalathrash said his team had not received any reports of Orang Asli residents using the “rat lanes” to escape from the EMCO areas.
He said the residents had been briefed on the effects and consequences of violating the law as the village area did have many rat lanes. However, it has been observed that the public was cooperating with the authorities working in the EMCO areas.
Meanwhile, the Orang Asli communities in the affected areas were also allowed to bring out their farm produce to be marketed but these must be delivered to the nearest EMCO control post to be picked up by wholesalers or buyers.
He said permission was given for this because they did not want the Orang Asli people, who made a living by selling their crops, to suffer losses due to dumping and damage to their crops.
“We have had discussions with several parties and we have agreed to allow the Orang Asli residents to send their crops to the control post as they are strictly not allowed to leave the EMCO area,” he added.
