SIBU: A woman was fined RM2,000 in default two weeks’ imprisonment by a Magistrates’ Court (Aug 8) for failing to carry out social distancing in a COVID-19 infected local area at a music cafe here, in September last year.
Magistrate Punitha Sivaraji took note of 24-year-old Nurul Syahfina Yusup’s mitigation and her guilty plea.
“The court had considered that the offender had pleaded guilty and this had saved the court’s time and public fund,” she said.
The accused paid the fine.
The court heard that Nurul, from Matu, had failed to carry out social distancing at a music cafe in Jalan Tan Sri which was an infected local area under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within Infected Local Areas) (National Recovery Plan) Regulations 2021, at about 9am on Sept 25 last year.
The offence carries an imprisonment term of not more than six months or a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or both upon conviction.
A police team went to the music cafe and noticed many people gathered inside the premises without adhering to social distancing as required by the regulations.
The police team detained 69 persons for failing to comply with the SOP. One of them was the accused who was brought to the Sibu district police headquarters for further investigation.
