KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — Understanding the public's sentiments on Hari Raya celebrations that usually include visiting family and friends, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that announcing the "no balik kampung” regulation as part of the conditional movement control order (CMCO) was not an easy decision to make.

Ismail Sabri said the government had decided to disallow visiting family and friends as there was no way it could ensure that social distancing is practised at respective households.

"It is not like roadblocks where Armed Forces personnel can monitor the public on their compliance of regulations set.

"It also isn't the same as SOPs (standard operating procedures) set at supermarkets because when at home, who is going to take your temperature before you enter the house, sanitise your hands and do crowd control?” he said during Bernama TV's "live” talk show tonight.

Ismail Sabri was explaining this for those who are still asking why the government has decided to not allow Hari Raya house visits.

He further stressed that even though there are uniformed agencies placed under the special task force to monitor the public's movement, he said this is not sufficient to control each house's compliance of CMCO regulations nationwide.

"What we are doing is to enable us to take care of everyone.

"We don't want Hari Raya to create a new cluster,” he said.

He, however, added that this was the decision for now, but things could change depending on the situation in the near future.

"But as of how, we are exercising these regulations under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 ( Act 342),” he said.

He also pointed out that this applies to Hari Raya within a state and not just interstate travel.

"We are still not allowing Hari Raya visitations even though one is dropping in on family or friends within the same state.

"Hari Raya house visitations are on the 'negative list', and as long as it's there, we do not have an SOP in place for it,” said Ismail Sabri.