PUTRAJAYA: Companies and organisations that flout the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP) stand to be fined a hefty RM1mil maximum when a proposed amendment to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 is passed in Parliament.

       The Health Ministry’s proposal to amend the Act, also known as Act 342, which was tabled in Parliament yesterday, included imposing a RM10,000 fine on individual offenders.

       Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (pic) said it was crucial for the proposed amendments to be passed tomorrow.

       “We need to pass the amendments as soon as possible to allow for continuity in regulations under the Emergency Ordinance that were revoked.

       “We are still at war against Covid-19 and still moving towards the endemic phase while facing new threats of emerging variants such as Omicron,” he said in a press conference.

       He added that following the revocation of the Emergency Ordinances, health authorities were forced to rely on the current 32-year-old law that did not take into account changes in the use of technology to combat the pandemic.

       “After Dec 8, the maximum fine that could be imposed on individuals or companies was only RM1,000 and this had become an issue recently,” he said.

       The Emergency Ordinances were revoked by Parliament on Oct 25 and by Dewan Negara on Dec 8.

       Dr Noor Hisham said there would be a disruption in the fight against the pandemic if there were delays in passing the law.

       “If it is not passed during this meeting, the latest we will be able to pass it is when Parliament meets again in three to six months’ time.

       “Our effort to combat the pandemic will be disrupted if we don’t amend and improve the law,” he said.

       He hoped the MPs would agree to the amendments and pass it during Thursday’s sitting.

       Dr Noor Hisham said the amendments would also allow the authorities to make the necessary plans ahead of time if there was a spike in Covid-19 cases in the future.

       Among the amendments, he said, was to increase compounds against organisations, bodies or companies to RM1mil and RM10,000 on individuals.

       “A RM1,000 compound for a company that rakes in millions in profit is a paltry sum and will have no effect.

       “That is why we are proposing to increase the compounds against companies,” he said.

       He said the move was necessary as data has shown that most clusters and repeated offenders were from companies and the manufacturing sector.

       Once the amendments are made, the finer details of the mechanism to implement the new regulations would be spelt out.