Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government does not interfere in the judiciary amid questions about the disparity in punishments against people who violated the movement control order (MCO).
"As a democratic country, we practice judicial independence and the government cannot interfere in the decision of the court in determining the punishment of any accused.
"The government does not interfere, it is the judiciary's freedom to decide. Perhaps the facts of the case is different, I don't know.
"Every case has different facts so the magistrate decides based on them," he told a press conference in Putrajaya today.
Ismail (photo) was asked to respond to certain instances where people were fined the maximum RM1,000 while others received a lower fine.
Earlier today, a single mother reportedly complained about being slapped with a month's jail while Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's daughter, Nurulhidayah, was only slapped with a RM800 fine.
The single mother's sentence was reduced to a RM1,000 fine after an appeal but she had already spent eight days in prison.
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.
The MCO first came into force on March 18 with the aim of containing the spread of Covid-19.
[More to follow] - Mkini
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