"Action will be taken against anyone who violates SOP, no matter who they are. Even if that person is my son.”

- Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob

COMMENT | Prophetic words indeed, but history tells us a different story.

Last April, Lisa Christina, a single mother, was produced before a magistrate and sentenced to 30 days' jail for breaching the movement control order (MCO) under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Declaration of Infected Local Areas) Order 2020. She was only released after eight days in jail when the High Court revised the sentence and substituted it with an RM1,000 fine.

About the same time, one Nurulhidayah was charged for a similar offence and paid a fine of RM800, not before some drama outside the court when media personnel were barred from covering the proceedings.

If you did not know, she is the daughter of former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamid and the disparity did not go unnoticed.

Lisa (above) took to Facebook and posted: "During the eight days in jail, I felt so shattered because I was unable to see my son and felt so embarrassed. I even had to borrow RM1,000 from my mother to settle the penalty.

“Today, I read that Zahid's daughter was just given an RM800 fine for an even bigger offence and no jail term given. Am I a second-class citizen to this nation? Why this double standard? I need (an) explanation for this.”

No one explained that the penalty or the quantum of the fine is at the discretion of the court, which takes into account several factors before making a...