SIBU: Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman supports the RM10,000 compound for violators of the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) under the conditional movement control order (CMCO).
Clarence Ting Ing Horh said he was upset to find many individuals in Sarawak, especially in Sibu district, still violating the SOPs.
“In the past, the compound was only RM1,000 but now it is RM10,000 but there are still people who are not compliant.
“We cannot blame the government for implementing this new law,” he said when asked to comment on the RM10,000 compound imposed by the government.
Ting said the four individuals who were compounded by the CMCO Covid-19 enforcer team on Sunday involved the owners and stall holders of coffee shops and salons in Sibu Jaya.
He added that the SOPs were very easy to follow, namely wearing a face mask properly, practising social distancing, sitting in a coffee shop with only two people at a table and regularly washing hands with a disinfectant.
“Many people take this matter lightly and ignore it. For example, in coffee shops, face masks are placed under the chin even after eating or waiting for an order.
“Only remove the face mask when eating and drinking. That is why I often advise the public, especially in the SMC areas. If it is very difficult to comply with the SOPs, do not visit the coffee shops. It is better to take food and drinks home instead,” he said.
Ting explained that the compound implemented by the government at this time was very wise and would probably make the community comply with the CMCO SOPs more strictly.
He added that the individual who was compounded in Sibu Jaya today could serve as a lesson to the public that the law could not be compromised.
Ting pointed out that the RM10,000 compound was appropriate as in Taiwan, any citizen who violated the SOPs would also be compounded with $50,000. He said the country’s Covid-19 prevention programme was world-renowned for successfully controlling the pandemic earlier.
“Instead of criticising this new compound, follow the SOPs. If you adhere to the SOPs strictly, why should you worry about being compounded?” he asked.
