MCO offenders start arriving at temporary prisons

People convicted of violating the movement control order (MCO) have begun arriving at temporary prisons to serve their sentence.

"The Home Ministry has gazetted 11 special prisons for MCO offenders after they are sentenced by the courts.

"To date, the special prisons have begun operations and 58 people who have been sentenced by the courts for violating the MCO have been sent to the temporary prisons," Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob (photo) told a press conference in Putrajaya today.

The temporary prisons, which are converted premises of academies under the Prisons Department, began operations on April 23. The government initially announced 13 such temporary prisons but later revised the number to 11.

Previously, the courts had jailed MCO violators but the Prisons Department complained this was adding to already overcrowded prisons and could create new Covid-19 outbreaks as social distancing was difficult in these facilities.

The government subsequently shifted towards issuing RM1,000 fines but this led to an uptick in the number of MCO violators.

With the temporary prisons, authorities have resumed charging MCO violators in court.

Ismail had said that the temporary prisons won't be "better" and convicted MCO violators would be treated the same as those in normal prisons.

Under Section 7(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease (Measures Within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020, a person violating the MCO can be fined up to RM1,000 or imprisoned up to six months or both.

[More to follow] - Mkini