KUALA LUMPUR – Pakatan Harapan will oppose amendments to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342), said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.
The Bagan MP said the proposed changes to the law are unreasonable and appear to put the blame on the people over the Covid-19 pandemic when it is the government that is erroneous in its handling.
“This law is only to blame the people. If there is a mistake, it is from the minister and the government itself,” he said in debating the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s speech in the Dewan Rakyat today.
“Where is leadership by example? The senior minister himself has violated the SOP and was only fined RM1,000,” he said, referring to Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (Sembrong-BN), who is the senior defence minister.
According to the bill, individuals who commit offences can be compounded up to RM10,000 compared to RM1,000 currently.
Proposed changes to the act also suggest that companies that commit offences under the prescribed rules can be compounded up to a maximum of RM1 million.
Lim said if the government continues to blame the people, the pandemic would not only be insurmountable, but economic recovery would also be affected.
He called on all MPs to band together on the matter and not support the amendments.
“It’s not about politics. Earlier, Pasir Mas (Ahmad Fadli Shaari) also said that he also did not agree. I hope he keeps his word. Otherwise, there is no dignity at all,” he said.
In December last year, Lim had described the amendments as “beyond consideration”.
He said such a move is completely unreasonable, as any effort to curb the spread of the virus should be based on prevention and mitigation, not solely on punishment.
“At the end of the day, this will only burden the rakyat and will not solve any problem,” he had said.
However, opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that such changes can only be made if some proposed amendments, especially involving the quantum of the compounds, are successfully agreed upon through the parliamentary select committee.
Meanwhile, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah had stressed that it is important for the amendments to be approved as soon as possible to ensure continuity in enforcement and to increase the act’s effectiveness in curbing the spread of Covid-19.
He said the Health Ministry fears that a prolonged debate in Parliament might disrupt the ministry’s ongoing efforts in enforcing infectious disease control in the country. – The Vibes, March 1, 2022
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