KUALA LUMPUR: Everyone, including VIPs, will be punished in accordance with they law if they breach mandatory quarantine, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
However, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said, action can only be taken after the police have concluded their investigations.
“Those who breach quarantine will be compounded under Section 25 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988,” he said.
He pointed out that the Act provides for a maximum compound fine of up to RM1,000.
However, he added, if the matter is brought to court under Section 24 of the Act, the police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers, “will make the right decision, regardless of one’s background”.
Noor Azmi was responding to a supplementary question from Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PH-Setiawangsa) who wanted to know if harsher punishments could be meted out on a select few, such as ministers, for breaching quarantine.
In response, Noor Azmi said no one is above the law, especially in Malaysia’s effort to curb the spread of Covid-19.
He pointed out that even the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong and the prime minister had observed the full 14-day quarantine.
“Action has to be taken against anyone found to have breached the mandatory quarantine,” he said.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali has recently been fined RM1,000 for failing to undergo quarantine upon his return from Turkey.
Khairuddin later apologised publicly and offered to donate four months of his salary to the Covid-19 fund.
To an earlier question from Datuk Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh (BN-Sabak Bernam), Noor Azmi said RM1 billion has been allocated in total for the Covid-19 war.
He said that as of Aug 7, the Health Ministry has already spent RM720 million to purchase equipment, medicine, consumables, personal protective equipment and test kids needed to contain the pandemic.
