KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — The government has introduced a new standard operating procedure (SOP) to enable remand application and extension for remand for prisoners in court to be conducted through video conferencing.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the move was to help curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in court.

He said the measure would be implemented without the need for the prisoners to be present in court to continue their remand duration and as an effort to avoid the possibility of spreading the infection in court.

"Apart from that, prisons would also have stringent SOP now on new prisoners entering a specific prison, to be placed at a transit centre and to undergo swab test,” he said at a media conference on the development of the Recovery Movement Control Order at Wisma Pertahanan here. Ismail Sabri said the prisoners would later be quarantined for 14 days and after being confirmed negative, they would be sent to the various prisons nationwide.

"It is learned that prisoners would be placed at a special location in the prison concerned for five days. It is only when they have been completely cleared, would they are placed with other prisoners as usual.

"For prisoners who are already serving their terms, the Health Ministry would also be screening them to ensure they are free of Covid-19 and all positive cases found would be sent to hospital immediately,” he said. — Bernama