KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians are not the enemy but the Covid-19 virus is, says Armed Forces chief Tan Sri Affendi Buang.
Affendi said this to allay public concerns of soldiers carrying firearms during patrols and at roadblocks during the enforcement of the movement control order (MCO).
“This is merely for security reasons and not all of them carry firearms. If there are five soldiers only one carries a rifle. As I have said before, Malaysians are not the enemy here but the Covid-19 virus is,“ Affendi said.
Affendi was at the Brickfields district police headquarters where he met Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador to witness a drone demonstration.
The armed forces commenced the use of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) yesterday to carry out surveillances and make announcements to enforce the MCO at remote areas in the Klang Valley.
Affendi said a sufficient number of drones will be put to use at 12 Covid-19 hotspots nationwide.
He said the drones are fitted with loudspeakers to make announcements and cameras to capture images.
“With the use of the drones the armed forces will be able to carry out its duties more efficiently, covering larger areas.” he said.
The heavy presence of the police and armed forces and the drastic drop in the number of people on the streets has also lowered crime rates by almost 50% in the Klang Valley.
