KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 — Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said that he and his bench members reject the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Bill 2021, citing concerns over the excessive fines imposed on Covid-19 rule flouters.

In a statement on his Facebook page, the Port Dickson MP and PKR president said that the decision was reached after gauging responses from MPs and the public as well as after going through the proposed amendments to the Bill.

The Bill was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat for the first reading today, and the government is hoping to have it passed on Thursday, the last parliamentary meeting for the year.

“Having detailed the entire Bill, listening to the views of MPs and the response of the people who are very upset with the excessive amount of fines and compounds that may open the door to abuse of power, corruption, and the practice of ‘antara dua darjat’, I and the Opposition cannot support this Bill in the form already tabled. I have stated this position to the prime minister,” he said.

The Malay language term is often used to refer to bias or preferential treatment accorded to the affluent.

Under the amendments, fines for offences committed by individuals are raised to a maximum of RM10,000 and up to RM1 million for corporate bodies.

Individuals who are convicted of offences under Act 342 can be penalised with a maximum RM100,000 fine, up to seven years imprisonment, or both, under Section 24 of the proposed amendment.

The amendments also seek to differentiate between individuals and corporate bodies, with the government proposing a maximum fine of RM2 million for companies as well as government agencies.

Currently, Act 342, confers the director-general the power to impose a maximum of RM1,000 fine against both individuals and companies or organisations, following the repeal of the Emergency Ordinances (EOs) in Dewan Negara on December 8. 

In a media briefing today to explain the rationale for the proposed amendments to the Act, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that it was not viable to impose the same RM1,000 fine on individual offenders and companies or organisations that violate the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/12/14/anwar-opposition-bench-rejects-amended-act-342-over-excessive-fines-sentime/2028437