No More RM10,000 Fine For Covid-19 SOP Violation After EO Annulled

The Dewan Rakyat had on yesterday (25 October) annulled the Emergency Ordinances which included the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021, the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 and the Emergency (Employees Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodation and Amenities (Amendment) Ordinance 2021.

The annulment was tabled by the de facto law minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar in the morning and was passed by the end of the session.

With this, he said the amended Sections 24, 25 and 31 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) which raised the penalties for SOP breaches for individuals, organisations and companies, will no longer be applicable.

“The annulment of the Emergency Ordinance (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendments) 2021 will see the value of the penalties and compounds lowered back to their previous value.” Wan Junaidi said, according to The Star.

Nonetheless, there will still be a penalty for those who violated the SOPs and the maximum compound under the Act 342, before it was amended under the Emergency law, is RM1,000.

The Emergency Ordinances was gazatted on 25 February and come in force on 11 March this year to increase penalties for repeat offenders and those who had been issued stern warnings about flouting Covid-19 SOP.

Under the ordinances, fines and compounds had gone up from a maximum of RM1,000 to a maximum of RM10,000 for individuals who breached SOP.

As for organisations or companies, the fine and compound amount were raised to RM50,000 from the previous maximum of RM10,000.

The ordinance also made breaches of Covid-19 SOP arrestable offences.

However, Wan Junaidi said the government is expected to table amendments to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act (Amendments) 2021 in Parliament this December.

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