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The MUDA leader said he sympathised with the 330 people who had been slapped with such fines as of yesterday, as such “heavy-handed action” came at a time when most people were financially strapped.
The former youth and sports minister said while he supported the Covid-19 laws to curb the spread of the virus, penalties were imposed to help them reform and not to torture them.
“The SOP-related punishments are not there to make people poorer and suffer at the same time.
“What’s saddening is that we know of many ministers going all over the place, breaching SOPs, but are yet to face the RM10,000 fine,” the Muar MP said in a Facebook post today.
Since March 11, the government has been imposing a RM10,000 fine against anyone flouting the SOPs under the movement control order.
Police have said that this amount was the maximum fine and it could be reduced upon appeal, depending on the offence.
District health officers are now empowered to lower the fines on appeal, the inspector-general of police was reported as saying.
However, an opposition MP raised concerns over the high penalty, as he claimed it might encourage corruption among the enforcement officers.
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