IPOH: A senior citizen who flouted a Home Surveillance Order (HSO) and was spotted in public wearing a pink quarantine wristband was sentenced to a day's jail and fined RM8,000, in default of six months' jail, by the Magistrate's Court here, today.
An image of Nur Emah Mohamad Hashim, 72, wearing the pink bracelet in public, went viral on social media, which dubbed her "woman with pink bracelet".
Magistrate Nabihah Mohd Noor meted out the sentence on Nur Emah after she pleaded guilty to the charge.
She was charged with committing the offence at a restaurant at Lengkok Meru Permai 1, Halaman Meru Permai, at about 8am on July 6.
Nur Emah was charged under Section 22(b) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 for disobeying an order under Section 15 (1) of the same law, which provides for imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
The order was issued by Syarifudin Abu Bakar at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Selangor, at 5.30pm on July 4.
In mitigation, Nur Emah, who is a single mother of three children, said it was her first offence and that she has health problems.
The prosecution was conducted by chief environmental health officer of the Perak Health Department, Ahmad Fakurazi Abu Bakar; while Nur Emah was unrepresented.
According to the facts of the case, on July 21, the Perak Health Department received a complaint regarding a viral image of a woman wearing a wristband issued to persons under investigation or surveillance in home quarantine, at a location other than her home, namely, Hanaz Cafe in Meru Raya.
An investigation was then conducted by the Kinta District Health Office, which found that Nur Emah, who had just returned from the United Kingdom, was under observation and placed under home quarantine from July 4 to 18. – Bernama