The court barred reporters from covering the proceedings, which was supposed to be a public hearing, without providing reasons.
Nurulhidayah Ahmad Zahid and her husband were each fined RM800 by the magistrates’ court this morning for breaching the movement control order (MCO) last month in Putrajaya.
The 41-year-old daughter of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and her husband Saiful Nizam Mohd Yusoff pleaded guilty to violating Regulation 3(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020.
The charges were read to them separately before Magistrate Shah Wira Abdul Halim who meted out the fines.
The maximum penalty for the offence is a RM1,000 fine or six months in jail.
Nurulhidayah, dressed in a black hijab, and Saiful did not speak to the press after proceedings today.
Ahmad Zaidi Zainal represented the couple; Nur Ashikin Mokhtar was the deputy public prosecutor.
Nur Ashikin had asked the court to impose a jail sentence for the couple. He said they were fully aware they were flouting movement restrictions as the offence occurred during Phase 3 of the MCO.
Zaidi said the couple should be let off with a warning as they were in Putrajaya because they had been invited to help plan Earth Day celebrations.
Nur Ashikin told the court that the excuse that they were invited by a deputy minister did not give them the right to flout the MCO.
The couple who arrived at the court before 8 am paid the fine.
There were some media restrictions on covering the hearing, Initially, five media representatives who were the earliest to arrive were allowed into the courtroom but were later asked to leave.
However, friends and families of the accused were allowed in the public gallery during the proceedings.