By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, March 23: Starting tomorrow, members of the public who do not have a special permit to move around in public after 7pm will be detained by the authorities under the Movement Control Order (MCO), warned Sarawak Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
The special permit may be obtained from the State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat at Wisma Bapa Malaysia.
“If you need to go around and if it is a necessity after 7pm then you come to us. You can write in to the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee. We will evaluate your request depending on your needs. And we can approved it there and then,” Uggah told reporters after attending the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee meeting at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here today.
He also advised members of the media to apply for the permit to carry out their duties in the wake of the two-week MCO where those who defy it could be charged under Section 186 of the Penal Code and face imprisonment of up to two years, a maximum fine of RM10,000, or both, upon conviction.
It was reported today that a mechanic from Sungai Siput, Perak became the first person to be charged in connection with MCO for obstructing a public servant from discharging his duty in enforcing the 14-day order which took effect on March 18.
S Punniamurthy, 33, pleaded guilty to the charge at the Sungai Siput Magistrate’s Court today after the charge was read out before Magistrate Norhabsarina Ayob. He was fined RM5,000 in lieu of 10 months’ jail.
Punniamurthy was charged with 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 at Persiaran Orkid 8, Taman Orkid, Sungai Siput last Friday (March 20). — DayakDaily
