Woman Who Was Caught Eating Outside With Pink Tag Gets 1-Day Jail Sentence & RM8,000 Fine
She tested positive for COVID-19 11 days after visiting the restaurant.
By May Vin Ang — 14 Aug 2020, 12:29 PM
A 72-year-old woman who went viral for breaching home quarantine to dine out in a restaurant has been charged with one day in jail and a RM8,000 fine
The accused, Nur Emah Mohamad Hashim, pleaded guilty to defying the Home Surveillance Order (HSO) under the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO).
According to Malaysiakini, Magistrate Nabihah Mohd Noor passed the sentence and also ordered Nur Emah to serve a six-month jail term in default if she failed to pay the fine.
Nur Emah had returned to Malaysia from overseas on 4 July and tested negative for COVID-19 upon her first screening at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)
She was to undergo a 14-day home quarantine but flouted the order to have breakfast with her family in Perak on 6 July.
A second screening test done on the 13th day of her quarantine on 17 July then found both her and her son positive for COVID-19.
They were admitted to Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh, but not before photographs of her dining out while wearing a pink wristband, which denotes she was under quarantine, was widely circulated on social media.
She was charged under Section 22(b) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 which carries a punishment under Section 24(a) of the same act
According to The Star, the charge sheet stated that she had gone to a cafe at Lengkok Meru Permai 1 and thereby defied the HSO issued to her.
The offence carries a maximum jail term of two years, a fine, or both.
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