On Tuesday, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah announced a proposal for the maximum fine for compoundable offences under Act 342 to be raised from RM1,000 to RM10,000 had been submitted to Parliament.
“Business is only at about 40% to 50% of our pre-MCO capacity, so if fines are increased, people would simply choose not to dine in anymore, ” he said, adding that the current RM1,000 compound was already hefty.Malaysia Retail Chain Association secretary-general Stan Singh-Jit believed that fines were not a sustainable way of fostering compliance.
Association of Wedding Industry Malaysia promotion and event bureau chairman Ashraf Mansor said although a heavier fine might help discipline the public, people could simply choose to avoid public places to reduce the risk of getting fined. Malaysians have also expressed disapproval on the matter, raising the issue of potential double standards in the enforcement of the law on “normal” citizens versus influential people.