No-one is above the law, says Deputy Health Minister

KUALA LUMPUR: No-one is above the law if they breach the movement control order (MCO), says Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali.

He told the Dewan Rakyat that the relevant laws were put in place not to victimise any party but to protect the health of all citizens and protect the country.

"Even the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Prime Minister went through the home surveillance order (HSO) and quarantined at home.

"Whoever breaches the law, we will impose a compound of RM1,000.

“This is because the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) only provides a maximum compound of RM1,000 against those who breach regulations and the HSO," he said in reply to a supplementary question from Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PH-Setiawangsa) during Question Time in Parliament on Monday (Aug 24).

Nik Nazmi had asked the Health Ministry whether a higher compound should be imposed on a minister who had breached the mandatory quarantine for those who travel overseas during the MCO.

Dr Noor Azmi said that if there were other serious breaches, the relevant agencies such as the police would investigate the case.

"So, it will be up to the police, for instance.

"If there are cases brought under Section 24 of the same Act to the court, it will be up to the court to make such decisions regardless of the individual," he said.

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali, also the Kuala Nerus MP, had recently come under fire for breaking the mandatory home quarantine upon his return from Turkey on July 7.

He was slapped with a RM1,000 compound, has apologised to the rakyat and offered to donate four months’ worth of his ministerial salary to a Covid-19 fund.

However, Malaysians have compared his punishment with a case involving a senior citizen who was sentenced to a day's jail and fined RM8,000, in default of six months' jail, by the Magistrate's Court in Ipoh on Aug 4 for a similar offence.

Meanwhile, to a question on the “Sputnik V” vaccine approved by Russia, Dr Noor Azmi said that the vaccine remains unregistered.

"Russia is still in the midst of conducting phase three of its clinical trials. So, in terms of clinical trial phases, it has yet to be approved and is not yet completed.

"We will await the report from Russia regarding the vaccine," he said.

To the initial question, Dr Noor Azmi also revealed that the Health Ministry has been allocated a total of RM1bil to fight Covid-19.

"As of Aug 7, a total of 720mil has been spent on purchasing equipment, medicines, consumables, personal protective equipment (PPE), test kits and other services to curb the spread of Covid-19," he said.