Last week, social media was abuzz with news that violators of the movement control order (MCO) were slapped with a hefty fine of RM10,000 for seemingly small offences.
There were reports of civilians being slapped with the fine for removing their face masks at an eatery and not checking in with the MySejahtera app:
While there were mixed reactions to the new ruling, which came into effect last Friday (12 March), the government has vowed to work on a guideline for the fines.
Takiyuddin stressed that the main aim of increasing the fine amount from RM1,000 to RM10,000 was not to punish, but rather to educate Malaysians about following the standard operating procedures set by the government.
“The law needs to be firm but at the same time we need to exercise discretion to strike a balance,” he was quoted as saying.
As such, to avoid further confusion, Takiyuddin told the news agency that the government will be spelling out the offences which are subject to the RM10,000 compound under the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021.
The matter will be discussed at the COVID-19 Emergency Management Technical Committee meeting on Tuesday (16 March), he added.
“We will maintain the ordinance on RM10,000 compound for individuals and RM50,000 for companies but the government will resolve the issue of its implementation, including on the issuance of summonses to violators,” he was further quoted as saying.
However, there were also reports saying that only repeat offenders will be slapped with the RM10,000 fine, which, we feel, is the reason behind the whole confusion.
To make the matter more confusing, the actual amount would depend on the discretion of the district health officer from the Ministry of Health.
So, basically, the guy who forgot to check in using his MySejahtera app could even walk away with just a RM1,000 fine if the district health officer decides that RM10,000 was too much.
Regardless, it can be quite daunting being handed a RM10,000 compound, so just be additionally careful.
It's already been a year since COVID-19 SOP have been set in place. Just saying that you forgot is no longer a valid excuse.
There were reports of civilians being slapped with the fine for removing their face masks at an eatery and not checking in with the MySejahtera app:
While there were mixed reactions to the new ruling, which came into effect last Friday (12 March), the government has vowed to work on a guideline for the fines.
Government to spell out offences
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan told Bernama that it is not appropriate to slap violators with a RM10,000 fine for seemingly minor offences such as not wearing a face mask.Takiyuddin stressed that the main aim of increasing the fine amount from RM1,000 to RM10,000 was not to punish, but rather to educate Malaysians about following the standard operating procedures set by the government.
“The law needs to be firm but at the same time we need to exercise discretion to strike a balance,” he was quoted as saying.
As such, to avoid further confusion, Takiyuddin told the news agency that the government will be spelling out the offences which are subject to the RM10,000 compound under the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021.
The matter will be discussed at the COVID-19 Emergency Management Technical Committee meeting on Tuesday (16 March), he added.
“We will maintain the ordinance on RM10,000 compound for individuals and RM50,000 for companies but the government will resolve the issue of its implementation, including on the issuance of summonses to violators,” he was further quoted as saying.
Is the compound really fixed at RM10,000?
According to an infographic by Bernama quoting Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador, all compounds related to COVID-19 SOP will be set at RM10,000.However, there were also reports saying that only repeat offenders will be slapped with the RM10,000 fine, which, we feel, is the reason behind the whole confusion.
To make the matter more confusing, the actual amount would depend on the discretion of the district health officer from the Ministry of Health.
So, basically, the guy who forgot to check in using his MySejahtera app could even walk away with just a RM1,000 fine if the district health officer decides that RM10,000 was too much.
Regardless, it can be quite daunting being handed a RM10,000 compound, so just be additionally careful.
It's already been a year since COVID-19 SOP have been set in place. Just saying that you forgot is no longer a valid excuse.
