Police will ensure enough manpower on duty when borders reopen, says Johor’s top cop

JOHOR BARU: The police will fortify and improve “Ops Benteng” to ensure that no illegal immigrants take the opportunity to enter the country through uncharted routes, says Comm Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat (pic).

The Johor police chief added that police will also provide enough manpower to monitor cross-border travel on the two land routes between Singapore and Malaysia from April 1.

“Ops Benteng was introduced as a measure to secure our borders during the movement control order and will be improved and continued even after international borders reopen.

“Those who want to come into the country should only enter through legal routes,” he said when met after the 215th Police Day celebrations at the Johor police headquarters here on Friday (March 25).

Comm Kamarul also said that the state police have also made changes to its roster in anticipation of the arrival of visitors when the border reopens.

“The increase in traffic is one of our main concerns aside from crime prevention, such as vehicle theft, and ensuring that the standard operating procedures (SOPs) are adhered to by those who are coming into Johor.

“We will ensure that we have enough manpower to manage the flow of traffic, and we will make changes to our workflows depending on the current needs,” he added.

Asked whether those entering the country should continue to wear face masks following the Singapore government’s decision to make it optional to wear such masks outdoors, Comm Kamarul said the current SOPs in the country still apply.

“So far, no changes have been made by the Health Ministry and National Security Council, so those entering the country should still follow the current SOPs of wearing face masks,” he said.