Individuals in Malaysia could be fined RM10,000 if the government approves the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) proposal to increase the fine for compoundable offences under Act 342 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 from RM1,000 to RM10,000.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the new figure has been submitted to Parliament recently and would take some time to be passed, reported Bernama.
“The act was drafted in 1988, the RM1,000 was reasonable back then but now we need to revise it… So I leave it to the Parliamentarians to decide,” he said.
Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham was at a special dialogue titled “COVID-19: Malaysia’s Journey Towards Flattening the Curve” in conjunction with Malaysian Healthcare Conference 2020 on 25 August when he disclosed the proposal by the MOH.
At the event, he was was conferred with the National Icon Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership in Public Health by the KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific, however as humble as he always is, Dr Noor Hisham said the credit should not go to him alone.
Being a recipient of multiple recognitions for his contributions in the fight against the Covid-19 outbreak in Malaysia, Dr Noor Hisham said the credit should also go to the whole team, especially Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
“One person cannot make a difference. If you want to give credit, give it to the prime minister because he made the decision, I only advised him,” he said.
In regards to telemedicine, he mentions that Malaysia was not up to par in terms of preparedness for the digital healthcare system.
“Only during the crisis, we came out with MySejahtera and all the software, but not before the pandemic. Therefore, I hope in time to come we prepare all these telemedicine or information technology approaches before the pandemic or the infections,” he said.
“I hope the telemedicine innovation should be done before the pandemic. I would like to see proactive rather than reactive approach.”
Should the fine for violating rules under the Act 342 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 be increased from RM1,000 to RM10,000? Let us know what you think!
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