The Red Zone maintained in Kuala Koh

KOTA BHARU, July 4 (Bernama) -- The Orang Asli settlement in Kuala Koh, Gua Musang is still declared as a Red Zone and members of the public are reminded against intruding into the area until the prohibition is withdrawn.

Kelantan Police Chief, Datuk Hasanuddin Hassan said currently 30 members of the 8th Battalion of the General Operations Force (8GOF) were stationed there to carry out their duty.

He said until now, the Health Ministry had yet to decide whether to end the prohibition or otherwise.

"We (the police) are just waiting for instructions from parties with the expertise and the police are merely implementing the instructions as stated in Regulation 20 of the National Security Council.

"It is hoped that members of the public using the route will be patient because based on the health angle, the regulation is still necessary,” he told reporters after the Monthly Assembly at the Kelantan Contingent Police Headquarters (IPK), here today.

Meanwhile, Hasanuddin said a member of the 8PGA who had earlier been confirmed as having been infected with measles was now recovering.

However, he was still being treated at the Gua Musang Hospital and if there were positive developments he was expected to be discharged from the hospital soon.

In another development, Hasanuddin said the crime index in Kelantan showed a drop of 18 per cent between January until June this year.

He said that in the corresponding period of 2018, there were 2,098 criminal cases recorded compared with 1,720 cases up to June this year which was a reduction of 378 cases or 18 per cent.

"The success was the outcome of close cooperation between the community and the police. We also constantly increased operations in drug prevention because we are certain that most of the criminal cases that occurred were linked to drug abuse,” added Hasanuddin.

-- BERNAMA