KUALA LUMPUR – Opposition politicians have lambasted the Perikatan Nasional administration for raising the fine ceiling for breaching the movement control order (MCO) to RM10,000 from RM1,000, calling it excessive and detached from reality.
PKR communications chief and Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil told The Vibes that it is a reflection of the federal government’s disconnect from the reality and financial hardship on the ground.
“I think this government is quite detached from reality; they don’t know how difficult life is for ordinary Malaysians right now.
“If you remember, before this, there was a story of a chicken rice seller in Subang Jaya last year who travelled for work with three relatives in the car. They were fined RM3,000, and that was their entire earnings.
“And so, my sense is that the government is truly living in its own world. They should stop this and keep the penalty at RM1,000, while ensuring that enforcement is unbiased.”
The higher fine can lead to a greater sense of injustice among the public, he said, as ordinary folk seem to be treated differently from ministers and senior PN politicians.
Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak, the political secretary to opposition chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, said the penalty is excessive, in light of the staggered deployment of the Covid-19 vaccine.
“I think it’s very excessive at RM10,000. They have to study the previous penalty, whether it was sufficient to prevent the public from gathering.
“Right now, when you go outside, people are going out like normal. In light of the vaccine in place already, I don’t think a harsh penalty like that should be imposed on the public. It could be abused.”
The Perak PKR chief also questioned the “opaque” nature of the higher fine, and the criteria that enforcement personnel look out for before imposing the maximum amount on individuals.
His sentiments were, somewhat surprisingly, shared by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who took to Facebook to say the RM10,000 fine is one of the highest in the world.
The Pekan MP said even though he supports stiffer punishment for MCO violators, offences have varying degrees of seriousness, and a blanket fine amount should not be imposed.
He suggested that the government introduce a progressive penalty system, particularly for less serious offences.
Not wearing a mask, not observing physical distancing, and leaving the house without good reason are far different from breaching quarantine, cutting off the quarantine wristband, crossing state lines without permission, and organising parties at home or in hotel rooms, he said.
“Less serious offences involving the majority of the public could be the result of an honest mistake. The punishment should be to educate the public, and the fine should be increased progressively – not bankrupt the public.”
He proposed a staggered penalty of RM1,000, RM3,000, RM6,000 and RM10,000.
This system has been implemented and well accepted in other countries, because no one sympathises with repeat offenders, he said, adding that slapping a first-time offender with a RM10,000 fine will just cause public anger.
“This could be worse for MPs or assemblymen, because any representative fined more than RM3,000 automatically loses their position.”
DAP lawmakers Teresa Kok and Hannah Yeoh tweeted about the unfairness of the new fine amount.
“Who can afford to pay RM10k penalty? This will only encourage people to bribe the enforcement officers,” said Kok.
Yeoh said RM10,000 is some B40 households’ annual income.
“Hey @IsmailSabri60 the RM10,000 penalty is extreme, cruel and excessive. RM10,000 can be someone’s annual income. PN ministers can boast when they donate rice as the federal government but still come up with this mindless penalty, stop it!” – The Vibes, February 26, 2021
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