SUNGAI PETANI, April 20 — The Magistrate’s Court here today sentenced 23 men to seven days’ jail and a maximum fine of RM1,000 for violating the movement control order (MCO) in the Kuala Muda district between March 27 and April 13.

Magistrate Arif Mohamad Shariff meted out the sentences against all the accused, aged between 18 and 41, after they pleaded guilty to their respective charges, which included hanging out with friends and heading out of their houses for no valid reason.

The court ordered all of them to begin serving the jail term from today, while those who failed to pay the fine would serve another month in prison.

At the same court, a director of a recycling company was sentenced to seven days’ jail and fined RM10,000 in default six months’ prison for allowing two employees to work without permission during the MCO.

Arif ordered Ong Lin-Tjong, 39, to serve his jail sentence beginning today.

Deputy public prosecutor Nurul Husnah Omar prosecuted while all the accused were not represented by lawyers. — Bernama