Fifteen individuals, including a frontline medical officer at a hospital in the capital, pleaded guilty at the Magistrates' Court in Ipoh yesterday to defying the movement control order (MCO).

Magistrate Nabihah Mohd Noor ordered all the accused, aged 19 to 38, to be fined RM1,000 each, in default three months’ jail, for the offence.

The accused comprised nine men, six women, of whom four were Indonesians.

According to the charge, all the accused had gathered at a house in an infected area for the purpose of social activities in Jalan Casa Lapangan 2, Taman Casa Lapangan here at 2.50am on April 5.

All the accused were charged under Regulation 6, of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020, punishable under Rule 11 (1) of the same Regulation which carries a maximum fine of RM1,000 or imprisonment up to six months or both.

Deputy public prosecutor Afiqah Izzati Mazlan prosecuted while the accused were represented by lawyers Nor Izawani Ahmad Jalaludin and Awatif Ahmad Bashir from the National Legal Aid Foundation.

- Bernama