Increasing fine against Prihatin Rakyat policy – Huazong

KUALA

LUMPUR: The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong) has urged the government to review the RM10,000 fine for movement control order (MCO) violations, which will come into force on March 11, as it is just too hefty for those in the low-income group and small businesses.

To better support the call, its President, Tan Sri T.C Goh highlighted the following three facts which fully reflected the dire financial position of a vast majority of ordinary Malaysians:

1. Bank Negara survey reveals that 75% of Malaysians have less than RM1,000 in their savings.

2. The findings of the National Strategy for Financial Literacy

2019-2023 indicated that 52% of Malaysians have difficulties raising even

RM1,000 for emergencies. 3. The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) reported that following relaxation of its withdrawal conditions during the pandemic, at least 30% of its members have withdrawn almost all their savings from Account 1 (leaving behind the basic saving of RM100).

Goh was also quick to point out that since the implementation of the MCO of various categories in the last one year, the amount given by the government to the people (both individuals and families) through the various welfare and financial aids, was less than RM10,000.

He thus opined that the government increasing the fine for MCO offences to RM10,000 has gone against its Prihatin Rakyat policy.

In a statement issued yesterday, Goh who is also the President of the Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) said while he supports the government taking of appropriate measures to fight the pandemic, including imposing of fine against the MCO offenders, he nonetheless underscored that such a fine should be affordable to the people.

“A fine of RM10,000 is just too steep, unless it is aimed at repeat violators,” he said. The said fine is stipulated in the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 through a Federal Government gazette uploaded on the official portal of the Attorney-General’s Chambers. It also states that companies or corporations that violate the SOPs can be fined up to RM50,000.

An amendment on general penalty under Section 24 was also included in the new Ordinance, whereby any person who breached the law for “which no penalty is expressly provided” could face a maximum fine up to RM100,000 or imprisonment up to seven years upon conviction. Goh further noted that under the current dire economic situation, the RM50,000 fine to be imposed on corporations that violate the SOPs is also too much to bear for small businesses.

He said Huazong has received feedback from some small companies that if the government is adamant of proceeding with the steep fine, they would opt to temporarily cease doing business, than to face such a high risk of a hefty fine.

“A majority of these business operators are currently operating at a loss just so that their employees could keep their jobs; everyone is barely scraping through this tough period of time.

Hence, if these businesses were to face such a high risk of a huge fine while operating, they might rather take a break, temporarily,” he said.

He thus opined that the government should instead introduce a more reasonable punishment, as in the manner it punished those who lose their identity card i.e. starting with a small fine for first-time offender and to gradually increase the fine on repeated offenders.

Goh further opined that the government should enhance public education and awareness campaigns in regards to MCO/ SOPs, instead of just simply imposing harsh enforcement and steep fines, which would only create deep resentment among the people.

He also reminded that, in the past one year, there had been many glaring cases of ‘U-turn’ and ‘double standard’ in the government’s introduction and enforcement of the Covid19 SOPs, which caused great confusion and drew criticism from the people.

“If the government is to proceed with such a hefty fine under the current dire economic situation, it would inevitably intensify the people’s resentment against the government of the day,” he warned.