KUALA LUMPUR – Police have slapped a Caucasian woman, who refused to wear a face mask at a luxury retail outlet in Suria KLCC and check in at premises in the shopping mall via MySejahtera app, with a RM3,000 fine.
In a statement, Dang Wangi district police chief Noor Dellhan Yahaya said the woman was fined RM1,500 each for two separate offences under Regulation 17(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Measures 2021.
He said the compounds were issued this morning after police concluded investigations into the incident, which took place at a Dior boutique in KLCC.
“(The first offence is) not complying with the Health Ministry director-general’s directive in registering entry at premises using the MySejahtera app at areas with wide internet coverage,” he said.
He said the second offence is her failure to comply with the director-general’s directive to wear a face mask while at premises in shopping malls.
“Therefore, the public is advised to always comply with SOPs (standard operating procedures) that are being enforced. Legal action will be taken if there is no compliance,” he said.
Yesterday, Noor Dellhan said police have identified the foreigner who breached Malaysia’s Covid-19 SOPs at KLCC and Bangsar Shopping Centre.
He said the suspect – believed to be in her 50s – who had blatantly disrespected Malaysian laws will be called in to give her statement soon.
The video of the Caucasian woman arguing with a retail staff in KLCC, who adamantly refused her entry for not wearing a face mask, had gone viral in social media.
The incident led many netizens to label her a “Karen”. For the uninitiated, the term is used in western countries, particularly the United States, as a pejorative name to describe a woman with an inflated sense of entitlement.
Undeterred, the unmasked Caucasian woman tried to do the same in Bangsar Shopping Centre and was seen picking a fight with a security guard who also barred her entry.
Malaysians across the board lambasted the Caucasian woman for her behaviour, while Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin waded into the fray, saying his ministry is also investigating the matter.
Meanwhile, several Caucasian expatriates in Malaysia have issued an apology over her behaviour, adding that not all “Mat Salleh”, “Minah Salleh”, and “angmohs” behave in that manner, with many respecting the laws of the country.
Noor Dellhan said the investigation will be conducted under Section 21A of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988. – The Vibes, October 31, 2021
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