Heads up, peeps! Starting 11th March, you could be fined up to RM10,000 if you’re guilty of flouting the Movement Control Order (MCO).
As stated in the Attorney General Chamber’s official portal, the matter has been gazetted under the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021.
Furthermore, it also states that companies or corporations that violate the SOPs could be compounded up to RM50,000. According to The Edge, the government had gazetted the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021, which was implemented as a proactive measure to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia.
Previously, under Regulation 3 (1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures in Local Infected Areas) Regulations 2020, those who failed to comply with the MCO SOPs could be sentenced to maximum penalty of 6 months imprisonment, RM1,000 fine, or both.
Among the offences include not wearing a face mask, failing to comply with physical distancing measures, failing to provide equipment to record customer’s details, crossing districts/states without permission, among others.
As expected, the recently-announced amendment was met with dividing remarks left by netizens, who took to social media to express their thoughts. Many felt that this new rule is absurd.
“The problem is, a lot of people get fined for unclear SOPs and police officers simply issuing out fines. Now with the increase of fine, ya, this is not gonna end well. Gonna open up another can of worms,” a netizen wrote.
Check out some of the comments that we found online below:
For those interested, check out the full copy of the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 here.
Sources: Sinar Online, The Edge, MMO.
