Putrajaya mulling heavier penalties for MCO flouters

Noel Achariam Noel Achariam Updated 6 years ago · Published on 10 Apr 2020 3:02PM · 1 Comments

Residents in Jalan Ampang staying indoors during the movement control order. Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob says the government is considering higher fines for movement control order violators. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, April 10, 2020.

THE government will look into raising the RM1,000 compound summons currently imposed on movement control order (MCO) violators as it may be too low to deter offenders, said Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

“Maybe we will ask the Health Ministry and the Attorney-General’s Chambers to look into raising the compound and jail time so it can be a deterrent.

“It is also to ensure that they don’t flout the MCO,” he said at the ministry’s daily press conference in Putrajaya today.

He said Singapore is issuing a SG$10,000 (RM30,490) for first-time offenders and SG$20,000 for subsequent offenses while South Korea is dishing RM35,000 fines to Covid-19 related offenders.

Since yesterday, he said the police had issued 392 compounds to individuals who had flouted the MCO.

He said Road Transport Department (JPJ) officers have started assisting the police and army in manning roadblocks. 

“This will enable the police to increase roadblocks and patrols throughout the country.”

He said so far they had conducted 775 roadblocks and inspected 508,605 vehicles.

“A total of 38,854 surprise inspections were conducted nationwide and 5,538 premises were inspected.”

He said the police had also detained 666 individuals at the roadblocks for violating the MCO. 

“Some 263 individuals were remanded and 11 individuals granted bail.”

He added that up until yesterday, the total arrests under the MCO were 7,479.

Malaysia has recorded 67 deaths with two new fatalities as of yesterday.

The country yesterday recorded 109 new infections, pushing the total number of cases to 4,228. – April 10, 2020.

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Comments

  • Its ok to increase the penalty for MCO breakers. But first, you have to refine your rules and regulations. For instance, the rule that only one in a household is allowed to go out at any one time is too restrictive. Then again I am not suggesting the whole family be allowed either.

    Perhaps a maximum of 2 persons in a car should be allowed. Sometimes its for convenience that 2 go out together so that one can alight the car to collect the food or whatever while the other waits in the car. There are also cases where the person who needs to go out is unable to drive and needs someone to fetch to the destination.

    I hope the authorities can consider this seriously.

    Posted 6 years ago by Super Duper · Reply