KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 — Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador confirmed today proposals to increase the fine for compoundable offences under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 for greater deterrence.
Abdul Hamid said the proposals tabled to the National Security Council (NSC) meeting stemmed from the increase in repeated offenders amongst those flouting the standard operating procedure (SOP) during the movement control order (MCO) imposed nationwide.
He singled out entertainment outlets as amongst those who repeatedly flout the regulations and frequently displayed apathy in the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, describing the RM1,000 as mere pocket change as compared to their daily earnings from patrons.
“I can confirm there are many proposals on how to strengthen certain sections of the law.
“There is a proposal to increase the amount of fine but I’ll leave it to the senior minister to elaborate on that,” he said briefly during a press conference at the federal police headquarters here.
Back in August 2020, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the Health Ministry had proposed that the government increase the fine under the aforementioned Act from the current RM1,000 to RM10,000.
Following the proclamation of an Emergency earlier today and with Parliament now suspended, any Emergency Ordinance (EO) made during the proclamation also has the same effect as an Act of Parliament, and they remain effective until they are revoked by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or repealed by Parliament.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah consented to the proclamation of Emergency in the country until August 1, or until the current wave of Covid-19 infections subsided.
The Emergency was invoked under Article 150(1) of the Federal Constitution which states that the Agong can call it if he is “satisfied that a grave emergency exists whereby the security, or the economic life, or public order in the Federation or any part thereof is threatened”.
The decree came just a day after Putrajaya announced a new movement control order affecting six states for two weeks starting tomorrow.
