COMMENT | MCO - one law for public, one law for VIPs?

COMMENT | According to Senior Minister Ismail Sabri, as of April 22, 17,735 individuals have been arrested for violations of the movement control order since it begun on March 18.

Under the three regulations issued for the MCO, a person who contravenes the MCO may be liable for a fine up to RM1,000, imprisonment of up to six months or both.

Many of those arrested have been charged in court, and a great number have pleaded guilty and been sentenced. The sentences meted out by the courts range from fines to imprisonment.

The government has made it clear that for Phase 3 of the MCO, the authorities will no longer be issuing compound notices and instead be arresting and remanding the violators. It was also reported that more detention centres have been gazetted as prisons to house offenders.

Many Malaysians are in support of penal action against MCO offenders although some may find that some of the sentences are excessive. In general, however, the people understand that for this MCO to be effective, strict compliance with the MCO is needed.

Yet, it has emerged that certain politicians ...