KUANTAN, April 26 — Forty-five patrons of a popular restaurant in Jalan Teluk Sisek here, had to cough out more than just for their food and drinks after being slapped with compound fines for failing to adhere to the recovery movement control order standard operating procedures (SOP). 

Kuantan district police chief ACP Mohamad Noor Yusof Ali said compounds amounting to between RM1,500 and RM2,000 were issued to each of them, including seven women, after an inspection at 11.55pm there yesterday found, among others, they did not practise physical distancing at the restaurant. 

"Two of the customers were also fined for not scanning their entry using the MySejahtera application with one of them when asked, showed us backdated registration which was on April 21. 

"We found they were crowding tables although there were many empty tables available and the excuse given was that they were not aware of the one-metre rule,” he said in a statement here today. 

Mohamad Noor said a RM10,000 compound fine was issued to the restaurant’s management for failing to ensure customers complied with the SOP.

"The management told us that they had advised the customers but they refused to listen. To us, the restaurant should have called the police or the city council enforcement (division) under that situation,” he said. 

Mohamad Noor added that he hoped that this would be a lesson to the public and eateries management in Kuantan to comply with the SOP in curbing the spread of Covid-19. — Bernama