The police are tracking down about 3,800 tabligh members around the country who have yet to come forward to be screened for possible COVID-19 infection, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.

He said the police have a list of the names of all the tabligh members who attended a gathering at the Seri Petaling Mosque here at the end of last month. It is learnt that 16,000 people, including 1,500 foreigners, were at the event.

“These 3,800 tabligh members are not only Malaysians but also Rohingyas and illegal immigrants.

“They (illegal immigrants) do not have to fear coming to hospitals for the health screening even if they do not have travel documents. More importantly, they have to be saved,” he told reporters after a visit to a roadblock manned jointly by the police and military in Jalan Ampang under the Movement Control Order that is in force from March 18 to 31.

Ismail Sabri, who is also the Defence Minister, advised the tabligh members to come forward before the police knock on their doors.

Malaysia recorded 14 COVID-19 deaths as of today, eight of them being cases from the tabligh cluster. Some 212 new positive cases were recorded today, raising the cumulative total to 1,518. Up to 159 patients have recovered.

-- BERNAMA