KUCHING, July 13 — Ten men who gathered for a birthday celebration were each fined RM1,500 for violating the movement control order (MCO) standard operating procedures.

Padawan police chief Supt Aidil Bolhassan said the individuals, aged between 24 and 53 years, were caught by a police inspection team around 6.30pm on Sunday at a house at Stapok New Resettlement Scheme, Jalan Stapok Utama here.

"The police team found 10 men had gathered under the car porch to have their food and drinks, without adhering to physical distancing requirements.

"The house owner admitted they were celebrating a relative’s birthday,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Aidil said after the police team explained to the men the offences they had committed, namely organising a social gathering and not observing physical distancing requirements as stipulated under the MCO standard operating procedures, the individuals accepted that they should be issued a compound notice.

The compounds were issued under Regulation 17(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures in Local Areas of Infection) (National Recovery Plan) Regulations 2021, he added. — Borneo Post