Man Sentenced To 9 Months In Jail For Defying MCO And Slapping Security Guard
Police have been ordered to take more stern action on those defiant of the MCO.
By May Vin Ang — 27 Mar 2020, 12:20 PM
A man slapped a security guard at a supermarket in Melaka which was closed during the Movement Control Order (MCO) on Wednesday, 25 March
According to theSundaily, Mohamad Saiful Bahari Mohamad was sentenced to a total of nine months' jail by the Magistrates' Court on two charges.
The unemployed 32-year-old was charged under Regulation 3(1)(b) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Regulations 2020, which carries a fine of up to RM1,000 or up to six months' jail, or both, upon conviction.
For the second offence, he was charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt, which carries a maximum of one year's jail, a RM2,000 fine, or both, upon conviction.
The Kelantan native committed the offence at the Tesco supermarket on Jalan Panglima at about 7.05pm
Free Malaysia Today reported that Saiful approached the security guard who was on duty, Dayang Azura Sufri, to inform her that he wanted to enter the supermarket to buy a bottle of water.
She explained to him that the Melaka government had limited supermarket operating hours from 7am to 7pm daily during the MCO, but he refused the directive and slapped her across the face for denying him entry.
The slap resulted in a bruise on the security guard's face.
The charges were read out by Magistrate Mohamad Izwan Mohamed Noh yesterday, 26 March
The judge, when meting out the sentence, said the accused should have placed the interests of the country before his own during this trying period as we are facing the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, reported The Star.
The accused, who was unrepresented, was taken straight to prison.
As the country enters the second week of MCO, the Defence Ministry has found that many people are still flouting the directive
According to New Straits Times, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said police arrested 110 people on Wednesday alone, 25 March, for going against the MCO.
At a press conference yesterday, 26 March, Ismail said 5% of people still violated the order, adding that the police tactic now might change from "advising" to "stern action".
"We don't want the 5% to affect the 95% who have been adhering to the MCO," he said.
"The National Security Council (NSC) will come up with a stricter SOP to ensure that the measures implemented can curb the COVID-19 outbreak."
Ismail said the new SOP would be presented by the NSC on Saturday, 28 March.
