Students compounded for not wearing masks don't have to pay

 

The case of six Perak Matriculation College students in Gopeng that went viral after they were issued compounds for not wearing face masks has been solved, Perak Health, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairperson Mohd Akmal Kamaruddin said.

He said the state government met with the college, the Kampar District Health Office and the Perak Health Department recently and decided the students did not have to pay the compounds.

‘’The case is settled and the students did not have to pay a single sen on the compounds imposed on them. So, they don’t have to worry... I also met with the father of one of the students and told him that the case has been settled.

‘’I assisted to solve their problems because they will be sitting for their examination. I don’t want their studies to be disturbed,’’ Akmal told a media conference after visiting the Selama Health Clinic in Larut, Perak, yesterday.

On April 19, the story of the six students being issued compounds by the Ministry of Health (MOH) when they were found not wearing masks went viral.

The incident was criticised by internet users who questioned the MOH because the students were said to have been staying at the college for the past five months and were not allowed to go out.

Compounds of RM1,500 each were said to have been issued to several students who did not wear masks or placed their masks under their chins.

Akmal also said 30 committee members of two mosques in Kamunting and Taiping were confirmed positive for Covid-19.

He said of the total, 27 individuals were committee members and worshippers at Kampung Expo Mosque, Kamunting, and three were from the Pokok Asam Mosque in Taiping.

He said an investigation showed that a committee member of Kampung Expo Mosque had gone to Pangkor and was involved in a ‘tadarus’ (group recitation of Quran) activity at a mosque.

Akmal, who is also the Selama assemblyperson, said swab tests were conducted on congregation members at both mosques.

‘’The swab test results of the other congregation members are not known yet. Compulsory prayers at the mosques are only limited to the committee members,’’ he added.

- Bernama