33yo Mechanic Is First Person Charged For Going Against Movement Control Order Enforcement

Given the amount of people that are still refusing to take the Movement Control Order seriously in Malaysia, it comes to no surprise at all that now, law enforcement officers have officially charged the first person in connection with flouting the MCO enforcement according to Free Malaysia Today and New Straits Times. The order, which started on 18th March 2020 to 1st April 2020, is meant to keep all Malaysians in their homes to prevent the spreading of Covid-19.

The man in question is 33-year-old S Punniamurthy, who works as a mechanic. Just today (23rd March 2020), he pleaded guilty before the Magistrate’s Court after his charge was read out to him.

He was fined RM5,000 in lieu of a 10 month jail sentence.

Mr Punniamurthy is currently being charged for voluntarily obstructing a police officer from discharging his public functions by refusing to produce his personal identification document and pushing the police officer in front of his house. The incident took place in Persiaran Orkid 8, Taman Orkid, Sungai Siput (U) last Friday.

Under Section 186 of the Penal Code, the charge comes with either imprisonment of up to two years maximum, or a fine of no more than RM10,000 upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Jean Siow Chung Hwei has requested the court to impose the maximum penalty upon the mechanic as a lesson to the public, but lawyer Nurul Hanis Mohd Zaini from the National Legal Aid Foundation, who represented Punniamurthy, said he only earns RM1,500 a month and has to care for his mother, and that he had never been convicted of a crime.

Which comes to show that during this point in time, we really should be taking the Movement Control Order very seriously. Not only is it for our own good, but public health at this point is everyone’s responsibility!