HEALTH Minister Kahiry Jamaluddin will be destroying his reputation if he pushed legal amendments to raise compounds for breaching Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP) by up to RM10,000 for individuals and RM1 million for companies, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang said today.

These amendments are to be made to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act and were tabled in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Lim, the Iskandar Puteri MP, said amending the act to include excessive fines and compounds is draconian.

“Khairy will be destroying his own credibility and political future if he forces through the draconian and unscientific Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Amendment Bill with excessive million-ringgit fines and compounds and disproportionate seven-year penal penalties on Thursday,” Lim said in a statement.

Known as Act 342, the law, which is used to regulate infectious diseases like dengue and tuberculosis, not just Covid-19, currently limits compounds of offences to RM1,000 and does not distinguish offenders between individuals and corporate bodies.

The health minister will also propose to Parliament to amend general penalties under Act 342 for convictions to a maximum RM2 million fine for corporations or government agencies.

Lim said if the bill does go through, it shows that Khairy’s previous claims that Malaysia must learn to live with the coronavirus is not true.

Khairy in previous months said the country will move towards Covid-19 endemicity.

Lim said pushing through the higher fines and compounds will also show that the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the government and Pakatan Harapan is meaningless as there was no consultation prior to tabling the amendment bill.

“Khairy should withdraw the amendment bill and consult not only with MPs and political parties but also all the relevant medical bodies and NGOs on the amendment bill or face the prospect of having the bill opposed in a division (the first case after the signing of the MOU) and re-table an amendment bill in the next meeting of Parliament,” he said.

Khairy first spoke of the amendments for stiffer compounds on a TV programme on RTM1 on Sunday night. – December 14, 2021.