by FARA AISYAH/ pic by RAZAK GHAZALI

THE restriction on banks’ automated teller machines (ATMs) operations will be lifted starting today, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.

“The government has decided that the operating hours of ATMs, which have been restricted from 8am to 8pm, will operate as usual as before the Movement Control Order (MCO) was implemented.

“The regulation will be effective tomorrow (June 1), to facilitate public banking,” he said in a live press conference yesterday.

Members of the public must maintain social distancing guidelines when using ATMs, he added.

The 8am to 8pm ruling was enforced on April 19 after findings by the police revealed that many were going out late at night on the pretext of wanting to make ATM withdrawals.

Ismail Sabri also emphasised on the guidelines for Gawai Day in Sarawak which will be celebrated today and tomorrow.

Celebrations of the annual festival are only allowed on the first day and are limited to 20 family members and nearby neighbours per house.

Meanwhile, the Royal Malaysia Police conducted 147 interstate roadblocks (SJR) nationwide and checked 188,844 vehicles as at Saturday, Ismail Sabri said.

There were 158 individuals arrested for disobeying the Conditional MCO (CMCO), of which 157 were remanded and one was bailed out.

The police also compounded 457 individuals on various offences of disobeying the CMCO.

Of 288 compounds issued by the police, one was issued for a Hari Raya Aidilfitri visit. Ismail Sabri said 196 compounds were issued on the field, of which 144 compounds were issued during SJR.

Perak recorded the highest number of compounds with 42, followed by Selangor (32) and Penang and Johor (24 each).

As at 8am yesterday, there were 270 active quarantine centres in the country, Ismail Sabri added.

187 quarantine centres were being used to house 14,585 persons under surveillance (PUS), while another 83 quarantine centres were being prepared to be activated if needed to house more PUS.

As at Saturday, 1,972 Malaysians returned home from Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Egypt, Australia and the Netherlands, and are undergoing mandatory quarantine.

As of yesterday, 46,859 Malaysians returned home and would undergo mandatory quarantine implemented since April 3, 2020.

From the number, 36,128 individuals were allowed to go home.