Breaching MCO: Ahmad Zahid's daughter Nurulhidayah, hubby fined RM800 each

Former deputy prime minister and UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's daughter Datuk Nurulhidayah and her husband Datuk Saiful Nizam Mohd Yusoff were each fined RM800 or three months jail in default by the Magistrate's Court here today for breaching the Movement Control Order (MCO) on April 20.

Magistrate Shah Wira Abdul Halim handed down the punishment to Nurulhidayah who was dressed in a black ‘jubah’ outfit and Saiful Nizam, attired in suit, after both of them pleaded guilty when the charge was read out separately by a court interpreter.

The couple who arrived at the court before 8 am paid the fine. The MCO was implemented by the Government on March 18 in efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Nurulhidayah, 41, and Saiful Nizam, 49, were charged with breaching the MCO by moving from a house in Jalan Bayu Nyaman Country Heights, Kajang to the Department of Environment headquarters in Putrajaya, which was classified as a COVID-19 infection locality at 9 am on that day.

They were charged under Regulation 3 (1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020 which provides for a maximum fine of RM1,000 or jail of not more than six months or both, if convicted.

"Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Nur Ashikin Mokhtar had proposed the maximum fine along with a jail sentence on both accused citing that the incident happened during the third phase of the MCO (which ended on April 28).

Nur Ashikin who was assisted by fellow DPP Zulaaikha Mohd Apandi had told the court that the excuse that they were invited by a deputy minister did not give them the right to flout the MCO.

Counsel Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, who represented the couple, had urged the court to impose a bond on each of them as a warning and if this was not possible, impose a fine in view of his clients being present there because they had received an invitation letter from the Deputy Minister of Environment and Water to discuss the Earth Day celebration on April 22.

Ahmad Zaidi was assisted by counsel Datuk Rosal Azimin Ahmad.

The letter dated April 17 addressed to Nurulhidayah was also shown the court.

There were some media restrictions on covering the hearing, Initially five media representatives. who were the earliest to arrive including from Bernama, were allowed into the courtroom but were later asked to leave.

Details on the proceedings were provided by the DPPs and the defence counsel.

-- BERNAMA