Milton Foo
KUCHING: The compound form for violations of standard operating procedures (SOPs) may not conform with Section 9 of the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 due to the wordings used, said Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) youth secretary-general Milton Foo.
In a statement, Foo said it was clearly stated under the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 the wordings were ‘dengan bayaran wang tidak melebihi sepuluh ribu ringgit’, which meant the compound rate should not exceed RM10,000.
However, in the compound form that was issued by the police, Foo said the wordings were stated instead as ‘dengan bayaran wang sebanyak sepuluh ribu ringgit’, which meant that a compound of RM10,000 has been issued.
“The wordings that were printed on the compound forms have caused confusion among the public, which led them to believe they have to settle a fine of maximum RM10,000 after being compounded. In actual fact, that is not the case.”
However, Foo said individuals who received the compound can head to the district health office to seek for a lower penalty amount, which may be lowered to RM50, RM100, RM300, RM500, RM1,000 or more in accordance with their guidelines and procedures.
“It has also been reported the maximum RM10,000 compound will only be issued to those who are repeat violators of the SOPs issued by the authorities.”
Thus, Foo, who has been practising as a lawyer for 17 years, urged the government to rectify the issue immediately to avoid continuously causing confusion and panic among the public.