Earlier today, de facto law minister Takiyuddin Hassan and health minister Dr Adham Baba announced that anyone who had received a summons would get a 50% discount if payment was made within seven days or 25% discount if it was paid within 14 days.
MCA Youth Legal Bureau chairman Ryan Ho said that while he welcomed the effort taken by the government to provide details on the list of offences and maximum compounds, it was still confusing and remained unclear.
“This matter is not just about the quantum of fines, it’s about clear guidelines and the proper enforcement. As it is now, the IGP (Inspector-General of Police) has come out and said that even his officers are confused. Left with no clear guidelines, we cannot fault the officers for using their discretion.
“For example, not wearing a mask carries a fine of RM1,500. What if an individual wears a mask, but removes it to drink a bottle of water while walking? Will that carry a RM1,500 fine?” he asked.
Ho told FMT that the compound should seek not only to deter, but to educate as well so that people would follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) and not contribute to the spread of Covid-19.
“I do understand the reasoning behind having high fines, but let it be for the more serious SOP breaches only.
“For the minor offences, a lower fine would be preferable,” he said, adding that enforcement officers should take the active step of educating the people instead of immediately issuing summonses.
Takiyuddin said that the government also decided to lower the fine for anyone who failed to wear a face mask or practice physical distancing, among other SOPs, to RM1,500 instead of the maximum RM10,000.
DAP’s Klang MP Charles Santiago said the whole implementation of the RM10,000 compound and the discounts that were announced today reflected the government’s “lack of thinking and understanding” of the current situation.
“No one can afford to pay the RM10,000 fine, even with the discounts. People are losing jobs here and there but you implement such heavy fines for them,” he told FMT.
Santiago added that the details regarding the RM10,000 compound should have been made earlier, not after it had been implemented for several days.
Last month, the government announced the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, which would increase the penalty for violating MCO regulations from RM1,000 to RM10,000 effective from March 11.