MIRI police slapped a man in Miri with a RM1,000 compound for failing to comply with Covid-19 protocols by using a fake name when filling in the contact tracing book at a shop.

The man, 25, did not respond when the name he wrote was called out by police doing a spot check at the chicken rice shop on Saturday, Sarawak Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Dennis Leong said today.

The man wrote down an English name that was not on his MyKad, and what was to have been a RM5 lunch had a RM1,000 fine added to it.

Sarawak media have reported that the man is now seeking the help of former Miri mayor and lawyer Lawrence Lai. 

Lai said enforcement officers had been overly strict and that many people wrote down names that were not on their MyKad.

Leong, who was speaking at today’s briefing on Covid-19 by the state disaster management committee, said the purpose of registering when entering shops is to ensure that the person can be easily contacted in the event of coronavirus transmissions.

“In the Miri case, when (his) name was called, the chap did not respond. That is the reason why he was being compounded,” Leong said.

He urged people to use the names on their MyKad to avoid problems.

Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Sebastian Ting, meanwhile, said the state disaster management committee should develop rules on filling in registration books. – August 4, 2020.