BATU GAJAH – There was nothing unfair about the RM1,500 fine each meted out to six students of the Perak Matriculation College in Gopeng for not wearing masks yesterday, said state Health, Science, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Mohd Akmal Kamarudin.
He said Health Ministry (MoH) officers were only doing their jobs when they issued the compounds to the students, adding that they are tasked with ensuring compliance to Covid-19 standard operating procedures.
He said the students could still make an appeal to reduce the compounds and the state government was confident the students would be able to settle them.
“I am confident the compounds will be reduced to the minimum and will be affordable to the students. God willing, I can also help to resolve it if they cannot afford to pay the compounds,” he said.
Akmal was speaking to reporters after launching a state-level food safety operation in conjunction with Ramadan at the Dataran Taman Orkid Ramadan Bazaar today.
He was asked to comment on the incident which went viral on social media and received criticism from netizens who questioned MoH’s actions, as the students had been staying at the college for the past five months and were not allowed to go out.
MoH personnel were said to have issued RM1,500 compounds to several students for not wearing masks or not wearing them properly.
In the meantime, Akmal urged all parties to respect the duties of enforcement agencies, who have been working tirelessly since last year to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I urge all quarters to stay calm. This matter can be solved especially now in the month of Ramadan. View MoH in a positive light as it is working hard so that we can return to a normal life,” he said.
Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said on Twitter late last night, that the Perak Health Department was investigating the matter, adding that appropriate action would be taken. – Bernama, April 20, 2021
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