Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced earlier today that the government will impose higher fines for repeat MCO offenders and warned of business shutdowns and jail time for those found breaching standard operating procedures (SOPs).

While he agreed with imposing stricter SOPs, the PKR president suggested that heavy-handed measures would have little effect as he claimed existing penalties were not being enforced fairly.

“I think to ensure balance between health (and the economy), SOPs have to be a bit tighter. But not with heavier fines,” Anwar said in a livestream on his Facebook page.

“People are starting to become cynical and suspicious as there are double standards in imposing punishment. Leaders flout rules at will while the rakyat are punished.

“Like the incident on the bus in Sabah. People were out looking for food but were fined. How can they pay? All this is disastrous for the rakyat.”

On Tuesday, FMT reported that a group of villagers on their way to buy food and medicine in Tenom, Sabah, were hit with RM1,000 fines each by police on Jan 27.

The eight villagers from an interior district were in a bus that was carrying more than the 50% passenger limit. They said their offence was unintentional, especially since their homes were far away from Tenom town.

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