KUCHING: Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) personnel carrying out outdoor duties have been directed to wear face masks and comply with Ministry of Health standard operating procedures (SOPs) as haze conditions worsen across the state.
Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mohamad Zainal Abdullah said officers and personnel working in the field, including those on patrols and at border checkpoints, must follow the health guidelines.
“We are not Superman — we also need to take care of our health while ensuring public safety,” he told reporters when met at the sidelines after a duty handover ceremony here today (Sept 1).
He said officers and personnel could not simply remain indoors at police stations despite the haze, as patrol and security duties still had to continue.
He advised them to wear face masks while carrying out their duties outdoors, adding that personnel with a history of asthma needed to be extra careful.
Zainal said Sarawak Police still held face masks stockpiled from the Covid-19 pandemic and would supply more to officers and personnel if needed, though a decision on upgrading to N95 masks has yet to be made.
He said the state government had postponed all major outdoor events, including National Day and Sarawakku Sayang Programme, and PDRM had likewise deferred its outdoor programmes until weather conditions allowed otherwise.
