GEORGE TOWN, Aug 18 ― A technician was fined RM2,500 by the Magistrate’s Court in Balik Pulau here for breaching his Covid-19 home quarantine order.
S. Ramesh Kumar, 42, admitted to defying the home surveillance order after the charge was read out to him.
He admitted to going to an exhibition at the Setia SPICE Convention Centre at about 5.45pm on August 7 and violating the Home Surveillance Order issued to him by a Health Ministry officer, which was an offence under Section 22(b) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.
Section 24 of the same Act provides for a prison term of up to two years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Magistrate Khalijah Mohd Khalid, in delivering her sentence, said the offence was serious in nature.
She ordered him to pay the fine in default of five days’ jail.
“This is serious because others have stayed home for three months during the movement control order (MCO) and the accused should have complied with the 14-day home quarantine order,” she said.
Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Rais Imran Hamid pressed for a deterrent sentence.
“This is a matter of public interest. This is not the time for the accused to be selfish and think only of himself,” he said.
He told the court that if the public could stay home for three months during the MCO, the accused should have been able to comply with the 14-day home quarantine order.
During mitigation, Ramesh’s counsel, Edmund Anthony Hermon, told the court that it was his clients’ first offence.
He said his client was remorseful and apologised for flouting the home quarantine order.
“He did not know about the quarantine procedures and was unaware of the seriousness of the matter,” he said.
He also told the court that Ramesh has a monthly income of RM2,800 and he is the sole breadwinner for his family including his mother and mother-in-law.
