Violations in Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Malacca and Penang.
Four men were sentenced to a month’s jail each by the Selayang Magistrate’s Court today for being in an infected area without valid reason during the Movement Control Order (MCO), enforced since last March 18, to curb the spread of Covid -19.
Magistrate Nur Hafizah Rajuni handed down the sentence on Muhammad Faiz Aiwan Muhamad Saffei, 21, P Prathabh, 32, B Sinniah, 37 and Liew Kok Leong, 41, after they pleaded guilty to the charge.
All of them were ordered to serve the jail sentence from their date of arrest, which was last March 23.
They were separately charged with violating Regulation 3 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020 which barred people from travelling to another place declared as an infected area.
The four men were caught committing the offence in Taman Indah Perdana Kepong at 5am last March 23.
Muhammad Faiz Aiwan, who is a food rider, was also sentenced to two months’ jail for obstructing a policeman from discharging his public function by crashing into a police roadblock at the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) at 1.45am the same day.
In Seremban, two men were sentenced to four months’ jail each for obstructing a policeman from discharging his duty during enforcement of MCO.
M Sivanyanam, 21, and K Vijay, 22, both factory operators, pled guilty to the charge, which was read out separately before Magistrate Mahyun Yusof.
Sivanyanam was charged with obstructing Sergeant Major Rafek Che Husain from discharging his duty by not stopping his motorcycle when ordered to do so by the police at Taman Bandar Ekar, Rantau, at 5pm last March 24.
Vijay was charged with abetting Sivanyanam in committing the offence.
Sivanyanam was also charged with riding the motorcycle without a valid licence and failing to produce his identification document when requested by the authority at the same place, time and day.
He was sentenced to four months’ jail for the first charge and a month jail for the second and third charge, to be served concurrently from the date of arrest.
Meanwhile, in Malacca, a self-employed senior citizen was fined RM2,000, in default of four months jail, by the Magistrate’s Court for making a statement on WhatsApp about Covid-19 with intent to cause alarm to the public.
Magistrate Muhammad Nazrin Ali Rahim meted out the fine on Alias Samad, 63, who was charged with circulating a statement on the Whatsapp group, “TTHAM RADIO”, that a man, who had just returned from a tabligh assembly, had been admitted to hospital for suspected Covid-19.
The offence was committed at Lot 1377, Jalan Baru, Kampung Jambatan Duyung in Melaka at 9.26pm last March 20.
The offence, under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code, provides an imprisonment for up to two years, or fine, or both, upon conviction.
In Penang, cops arrested five men for drinking beer in public, in defiance of the MCO.
In the 10am incident, the five men — four Malaysians and one Indian national — were gathered together, holding cans of alcohol at the narrow side lane off Burma Road when authorities chanced upon them.
“They were immediately arrested and four of them will be brought to the court for a remand order,” Northeast District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Soffian Santong said.
The Indian national failed to show legal travel documentation and will be remanded for 14 days by the Immigration Department, he added.
The case will be investigated under Section 269 of the Penal Code for committing a negligent act likely to spread infection of any disease dangerous to life.
The section carries with it a jail sentence of up to six months or with fine or both, upon conviction.
They will also be investigated under Section 7(1) Prevention of Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within the infected local areas) Regulations 2020 for violating the MCO.
Yesterday, police arrested six men who were playing football and one man who was jogging in a field along DS Ramanathan Road. They have been remanded for four days from today.
So far, in Penang, five men have been charged and one man was jailed 10 days and fined RM1,000 for violating the MCO.
They are being investigated under Section 269 of the Penal Code for a negligent act likely to spread infection of any disease dangerous to life.
The section carries with it a jail sentence of up to six months or with fine or both, upon conviction.
They will also be investigated under Section 7(1) Prevention of control of infectious diseases (Measures within the infected local areas) Regulations 2020 for violating the MCO.
Magistrate Nur Azzuin Abdul Moati gave the remand order after the seven, aged between 23 and 56 years old, were brought to the court at about 10.20am today.