Teen fined for operating non-essential service shop
Published on: Friday, April 03, 2020
By: Jo Ann Mool
Kota Kinabalu: A shop assistant was fined RM1,000 or one-month jail by the Magistrate’s Court, Thursday, for operating a non-essential service at night.Christopher Yan Chung Seng, 19, pleaded guilty to committing the offence at 11.02pm on March 31 at Kg Kopungit shop row, here.
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The charge stated that Yan runs the premises without obtaining the written consent from the Director-General as provided under Regulation 5(2) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within the Local Infected Areas) Regulations 2020
Inspector Lim Swee Beng, prosecuting, informed the court that police on Ops Covid-19 found a premises was operating in the area at 11.02pm on the said day.
A check inside the premises found a man, later identified as Yan, inside the shop and he failed to give a valid reason for operating the premises at such an hour.
Yan claimed that he did not know about the Movement Control Order (MCO) directives.
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He was later arrested for the offence.
Yan had committed an offence punishable under Regulation 7(1) of the same Regulations which provides for a fine of up to RM1,000 or jail term of up to six months, or both, on conviction.
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Duty counsel Lim Ming Zoong @ Lawrence, representing Yan, applied for a lower fine saying Yan was a young offender and worked as a shop assistant. He is also taking care of his mother.
Lawrence said at the time of his arrest, Yan’s employer consented him to sleep at the premises as his residing address was in Papar.
Lim applied for an adequate sentence to be imposed to educate Yan as well as to deter other people from committing a similar offence.
Lim earlier said the premises allegedly operated illegal gambling activity and such activity was not essential and, therefore, was wrong for Yan to operate the said premises at the time of the offence committed, adding that it was not a shop providing essential activity.
Lim also submitted that Yan was irresponsible during the current crisis and went against the leaders’ advice to stay home.
In another case, a 47-year-old man claimed trial to defying the MCO.
Shi Sen Vei was accused of violating the order which was instructed by Corporal Mohd Din @ Dino Moktal at 11.45am on March 31 at the five-foot way of the STC shop at Lido in Luyang.
The charge, under Section 22 (b) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988, carries a jail term of up to two years or fine, or both, on conviction.
Lim, in applying for a case management date, proposed bail at RM6,000 in two sureties.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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