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From 11 March onwards, individuals who violate COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) enforced by the government can be fined up to RM10,000
This is according to the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021.
A federal government gazette was uploaded to the official online portal of the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) yesterday, 25 February.
Meanwhile, companies or corporations that violate the SOPs can be fined up to RM50,000
Section 25 of the Emergency Ordinance now reads, “The director-general or any authorised officer, may … compound any offence under this Act or any regulations under this Act …(a) in the case of a person who is an individual, a sum of money not exceeding ten thousand ringgit. (b) in the case of a body corporate, a sum of money not exceeding fifty thousand ringgit.”
The amended ordinance also includes changes to general penalties
Section 24 states that any person who commits an offence under the Act “for which no penalty is expressly provided” may be liable to a fine up to RM100,000, imprisonment for a maximum of seven years, or both.
The government had gazetted the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 on 14 January after it was enacted by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
Previously, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said, “The Yang di-Pertuan Agong can proclaim several emergency ordinances for the purpose of curbing the spread of COVID-19 infection which entails matters regarding the use of private hospital assets, taking temporary ownership of private hospital land, or to make a request to use the resources of private hospitals for the purpose of treating COVID-19 patients.”