KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has taken a dig at his ally Perikatan Nasional’s government, this time over the insensitivity of provisions within the newly amended Emergency Ordinance 2021 towards accidental or unintentional offences.

The disgraced Pekan MP, through a Facebook post, explained that actions as simple as forgetting to check-in with the MySejahtera QR code would also be subjected to the RM10,000 compound being stated in the summon issued by authorities.

Attached within his post was a picture of a compound written for RM10,000 issued yesterday at a location in Bukit Jalil, with the offence listed as failing to scan the MySejahtera QR code.

"The manner the Ordinance was outlined by the government does not differentiate between unintentional and non-serious offences like forgetting or failing to scan the MySejahtera app, or failing to use a face mask, against serious offences like breaching mandatory quarantines or crossing state lines without permission,” he wrote in his post.

Najib also admonished the administration when he said these are the effects of laws being passed without going through proper checks and balances.

"This is an example of why government policies should be discussed and passed by the Dewan Rakyat beforehand to ensure they are fair to the people,” he wrote.

Provisions within the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 states that a person found breaching movement control order SOPs is subject to a fine compoundable up to a sum of RM10,000, a tenfold increase from the previous maximum compound value of RM1,000.

However, yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador clarified that first-time offenders or those caught for minor offences could argue their case with the district health officers and are not necessarily made to pay the full RM10,000 fine.

Abdul Hamid had explained the maximum fine of RM10,000 would most likely be imposed on serious offenders, like those caught crossing state lines and end up causing new Covid-19 clusters or entertainment outlet owners who operate despite being on the negative activity list.

The top cop had said that the final compound amount would be decided at the discretion of the district health officers and not the police.