Amendment bill to increase SOP violation fines to RM100,000 will not be tabled, says PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Proposed amendments to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342), which allows for fines of up to RM100,000 for those who flout Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP), will not be tabled, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

"The proposed compound fines were RM100,000 for an individual and RM500,000 for companies.

"The government will not table the amendments in Parliament. Act 342 and the current fine amount of RM1,000 for an individual remains," said the Umno vice president in his winding up speech at the Umno general assembly here on Saturday (March 19).

Ismail Sabri quipped that even he would not be able to afford the heavier compound fines.

"In Johor recently, I was issued compound notices five times, which means I had to pay RM5,000.

"If the compound were RM100,000 for an individual, I would have been fined RM500,000. I wouldn't have been able to afford it," he said.