Magistrate Shah Wira Abdul Halim handed down the fine after Nurul Hidayah Ahmad Zahid and Saiful Nizam Mohd Yusoff pleaded guilty to the charge read out by the court interpreter.

The penalty for violating the MCO is a maximum fine of RM1,000, six months’ jail or both.

Nurul and Saiful both paid the fine.

The issue surfaced after Nurul posted pictures of her and Saiful along with Deputy Environment Minister Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri on her Instagram account on April 20.

They were subsequently criticised for violating the MCO, implemented in mid-March to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Investigations were conducted under a provision in the Penal Code for negligence likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life, as well as infectious diseases regulations.

Members of the media were barred from covering the proceeding.

Lawyer Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, who appeared for the couple, said his clients were invited by the deputy minister’s private secretary to discuss Earth Day which fell on April 22.

Assisted by Rosal Azimin Ahmad, he urged the court to give them a warning or to let them off with a fine.

However, deputy public prosecutor Nur Ashikin Mokhtar said the invitation which was issued through a letter was no excuse for the two to breach the law.

Nur Ashikin, assisted by deputy public prosecutor Zulaaikha Mohd Apandi, also noted that the offence had taken place under phase three of the MCO.

She urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence that would include a jail term.

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