SHAH ALAM: The government does not differentiate individuals who commit any offence, including those who violate COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOP), said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

"There is no concept that people in high places are not compounded and only ordinary folk are compounded. Anyone who violates the SOP will be compounded, including the Minister of Defence and others, no matter who they are," he told the media after launching the Report on Key Findings of the Population and Housing Census 2020 here today.

He was commenting on the compounds imposed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on the organisers of an MIC Brigade Launching Ceremony as well as several senior government leaders including Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein for violating COVID-19 SOP at the event in Iskandar Puteri, Johor yesterday.

On calls by DAP leaders for Hishammuddin to resign, the prime minister said there was no need for him to do so.

"Violating the SOP is not a crime, nothing to do with crime and the MOH has issued compounds and if everyone issued a compound has to resign, I think no one can work," he said but did not deny that the SOP are an important matter.

"Government officers, many government employees have been compounded, so do they all have to resign? There is no need. The important thing is that action is taken, which means that the government does not differentiate between individuals who commit offences, it can be a minister, deputy minister, head of department ... it can be anyone, "he said.

-- BERNAMA