Ismail Sabri: Public Will Not Be Fined For Not Updating Health Status On MySejahtera
This comes after several factory workers in Perak were fined for not updating their status on the app.
By Daranee Balachandar — 08 Jun 2021, 02:54 PM
Senior Minister (Security) Dato' Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that not updating one's health status on MySejahtera is not an offence during the Movement Control Order (MCO)
In a statement yesterday, 7 June, Ismail said failing to do so is not a finable offence under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988, reported Bernama.
He said that compounds issued for the previously believed offence by any enforcement officer should be rescinded.
"I hope that compounds issued for this offence are revoked. Enforcement officers are advised not to err in interpreting the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place," the senior minister was quoted as saying by New Straits Times.
Ismail's clarification on the issue comes after 29 oil and gas company workers in Perak were recently compounded RM2,000 each for not updating their health status on MySejahtera
Two workers from a chicken processing factory in Perak were also issued a RM1,500 fine each for the same alleged offence on 5 June.
Yesterday, Perak police chief CP Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid assured that compounds issued to the factory workers will be cancelled.
"The compounds were issued by SOP monitoring squad led by Manjung police district chief and representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, and Manjung Municipal Council on June 5," Mior said, reported Malay Mail.
"There was some confusion over the matter and Manjung police had checked and gotten clarification on the incident with the Ministry of Helath's inspectorate and legal unit," Mior was quoted as saying by The Star.
The National Security Council (MKN) also clarified that it is not compulsory for people to update their health status on the app except under certain circumstances
MKN director-general Datuk Mohd Rabin Basir explained that there are only four exceptions when the self-assessment and update by an individual is required on the app, reported Malay Mail citing a Sin Chew report.
The exceptions are when the individual:
- Shows COVID-19 symptoms
- Has travelled abroad
- Has had physical contact with a COVID-19 positive patient
- Has tested positive for COVID-19
"According to the MKN's SOP, only if a factory has any of their workers testing positive, all of the employees must perform daily self-health assessments through MySejahtera," Mohd Rabin added.
With that said, Ismail Sabri reminded people to be honest and responsible while updating their health status on MySejahtera even though it is not an offence anymore
He said that MySejahtera allows the government to conduct contact tracing on COVID-19 cases. Thus, the correct details must be provided and updated on the app, especially when an individual is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.
"MySejahtera is an application developed by the government to assist in monitoring the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic in the country by enabling users to perform self-health assessment," the senior minister explained.
"Therefore, this application is not only for us to scan when we enter a place but more importantly to update every day, or even every time if necessary, depending on our movements and activities."
