THE magistrate’s court in Kuala Lumpur today fined 11 men – including nine foreigners – RM1,000, in default four weeks’ jail, for flouting the movement control order (MCO) by jogging along Jalan Mont Kiara and Jalan Desa Kiara.

The foreigners comprised British Jamie Bubb Sacklyn, 28; Koreans Woo Yum Sik, 54, Lee Jong Young, 50, and Kwang Suk Lee, 51; Japaneses Koichi Itano, 60, Tanakatohishiko, 61, Mitsuhiru Takayanagi, 51, and Taichi Okubo, 36; and an Indian national, B. Vikram, 48.

The other two are Malaysians S. K. Ramani, 56, and Au Yong Vooi Loon, 31.

Magistrate Mohammad Aizat Abdul Rahim meted out the maximum fine for the offence after they pleaded guilty to the charge, which was read out in English.

They were charged with the violating Rule 3(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures Within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020 for moving around in an infected area in Mont Kiara at 7.15pm last March 29.

Deputy public prosecutor Hanis Anisha Jamilludin asked for an appropriate punishment in the form of a deterrent sentence to show the public the court would not compromise with anyone who flout the order, especially during the current state of affairs in the country.

All the accused pleaded for a lenient sentence and apologised for their actions, saying they did not know it was an offence to jog during MCO. – Bernama, March 31, 2020.