Selangor Journal
Army officers are deployed to assist the police in conducting roadblocks in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, on March 26, 2020. — HAFIZ OTHMAN /SELANGORKINI

Flouting MCO: Eighty-eight individuals land in court

KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 — The 15th day of the movement control order (MCO) saw many still flouting it and yesterday 88 individuals were charged with various offences in Magistrates’ Courts and Sessions Court in several states.

Most of the offences were the failure to comply with the MCO by moving from one place to another in an infected area under Regulation 3 (1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures in the Local Area of ​​Infection) 2020 which provides a maximum six-month jail and a fine of RM1,000 or both.

Some were also accused of obstructing civil servants from carrying out their duties during the MCO under Section 186 of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum jail of two years or a fine of RM10,000 or both.

A man has been charged under Section 21 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 with a maximum penalty of 14 days or a fine not exceeding RM25 or both.

A total of 33 individuals were charged in several Magistrates’ Courts here.

At the Kuala Lumpur Magistrates’ Court, 13 were sentenced to RM1,000 or six weeks’ jail, and two months’ jail for three vagabonds, after pleading guilty to moving from one place to another, such as hanging out at a staircase, repairing a motorcycle, exercising and watering a tree on March 28-31.

The accused included restaurant waiter, security guard, housewife and students between the ages of 19 and 35.

At the Ampang Magistrates’ Court, a footballer with a local amateur club Ahmad Lutfi Azizul Rahman, 22, was fined RM800 or a month in jail for defying the MCO by exercising outside his home.

According to the facts of the case, police patrolling the area had reprimanded Ahmad Lutfi for exercising outside his home near the pool at Pearl Condominium, Taman Bukit Indah, Ampang at 5.15 pm on March 27.

However, the accused had voiced dissatisfactions and the police again ordered him to enter the house and told him to stay home following the MCO but Ahmad Lutfi again refused to obey their instructions.

Eight men, including two Indonesian nationals, aged between 21 and 40 years old, were fined RM600 or jailed a month each for moving from one area of ​​infection to another Ampang between March 22 and March 29 while a 14-year-old also pleaded guilty to the same offence, but had not been sentenced for pending a conduct report on July 1.

Chef Kuan Sin Choon, 44, was sentenced to one month in jail and fined RM1,000 by the Kajang Magistrate’s Court here for preventing policemen from conducting an inspection and gathering in front of a convenience store without purpose.

For the offence of obstructing the policemen, the court sentenced him to one month’s jail from the date of his arrest on March 27, while a fine of RM1,000 or one month in jail for being in an infected area with no purpose around Cheras.

In the Selayang Magistrate’s Court, unemployed M.Omer, 59, was fined RM25 or 14 days jail for disorderly conduct by a police officer on duty during the MCO, when he deliberately pointed a bottle of liquor at the officer.

He was charged with committing the offence at the Batu Caves road, Gombak at 6.45 pm on March 27, under Section 21 of the Minor Offences Act 1955, which provides for a maximum 14-day jail or a fine not exceeding RM25 or both.

Five men between the ages of 29 and 35 pleaded not guilty to the charge of assembling at the scene of the infection at 10.30 pm on March 28 and the court allowed each of the accused bail of RM1,000 with one surety and set June 10 for remention of cases.

In Negeri Sembilan, two men and a woman were each fined RM1,000 or a month in jail by the Port Dickson Magistrates’ Court for being in an infected area with no logical reason.

Security guard, Hashim Mohamad Yusof, 57, crane driver J. Jonathan, 22, and receptionist Haslinda Sulaiman, 25, were charged with committing the crime in the area between 7 pm and 12.45 am on March 28 and 29.

In Melaka, 41 individuals including 12 foreigners were charged in three separate courts in the state for moving from one place to another in an infected area and also for flouting the ban on gathering.

At the Central Melaka Magistrates’ Court here, Magistrate Muhammad Nazrin Ali Rahim imposed fines of RM500 to RM1,000 and or jail if failing to do so on 16 men between the ages of 20 and 50 years, and a 17-year-old boy.

All of them, including six foreigners, namely, four Nepalese, one Bangladeshi and Pakistani, pleaded guilty to the charge.

Eighteen individuals including six foreigners, aged 25 to 45 years, were fined RM900 to RM1,000 or one month in jail by the Alor Elephant Sessions Court after pleading guilty to the same charge.

At the Jasin Magistrate’s Court, six individuals aged 23 to 45 years, were sentenced to RM1,000 or two months in jail for violating the MCO.

In Kedah, 11 men, between the ages of 23 and 40 years, were each fined RM1,000 or three months in jail by the Sungai Petani Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to violating the MCO between March 25 and 29.

— Bernama

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Editor Selangor Journal