KUALA LUMPUR – Should a person who violates Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP) be jailed for seven years or slapped with the maximum RM100,000 fine or both?
The UMNO Youth Chief, Datuk Dr. Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki sought for the public’s opinion on the proposal to amend the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).
The punishment was proposed for the offence of not wearing face mask, violating quarantine order and being in crowded places.
“What is your opinion? Is it appropriate to amend and increase to such harsh punishment?” he asked in his social media post today.
The current Act 342 allows the MOH to impose RM1,000 fine to those who violate the SOP such as not wearing face mask in public.
The netizens who replied to Asyraf mostly did not agree with the excessively harsh punishment and think that it should not be executed.
Some were also concerned that the enforcers may be biased in carrying out their duty and cause public outcry.
“This should not happen. This is not an Endemic SOP. You said that we’re going into Endemic phase. This is the total control SOP. WHO did not make such rules. Dr Tedros WHO was relaxed and did not even wear face mask during news conference,” said Muhamadhamdanmohdasri.
“The punishment should educate the public. For example, community services… a month at the Covid hospital… imprisonment is likened to criminal offences such as robbing and stealing,” Sed Abd wrote. -MalaysiaGazette
