KK man fined RM1,500 for defying home quarantine order

By Olivia Miwil - May 30, 2020 @ 4:18pm

KOTA KINABALU: The Magistrate's Court here today fined a man RM1,500 in default of five months' imprisonment for defying a Covid-19 home quarantine order.

District police chief Assistant Commissioner Habibi Manjinji said the man pleaded guilty to the charge under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease 1988 (Act 342).

Police received a report on May 19 about the man, who was supposed to undergo home quarantine at his house at Kampung Cenderakasih here, but instead had travelled to Kampung Inderasan Laut in Kudat without permission.

"Our investigation showed that the man had been undergoing quarantine at Kampung Cenderakasih since May 8 for having close contact with someone believed to be positive for Covid-19.

"The quarantine period was supposed to end on May 21 after the second sample which was to be taken on May 20 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital here," he said in a statement.

Habibi added that the man, however, had left home after being informed on May 18 that his first sample came back negative.

The man was arrested on May 28 for failing to comply with orders from the authorities and had committed an offence that could likely spread the Covid-19 infection.

"Although the government is implementing a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), the community still has to abide by standard operating procedures set by the Health Ministry.

"This is to ensure the effectiveness of the CMCO to contain Covid-19."