IPOH: The compound imposed on six Gopeng Matriculation College students for violating restricted movement Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) has been reduced.
Without divulging the discounted amount, Perak Health Department director Datuk Dr Ding Lay Ming said a meeting between the college management and the students was held at the Kampar Health Office on Tuesday to discuss the matter.
All six were initially slapped with RM1,500 compounds each for violating the SOP including for not wearing face masks on Monday.
Dr Ding, in a statement, said these students had appealed to lower the fine and reduced amount had been given to them, in accordance to existing procedures on compound deduction.
"However, the college management has submitted an appeal to further lower the fine because the affected students are from underprivileged families, who cannot afford to pay even the (approved) discounted compound.
"This issue will be brought before the Health Ministry management for consideration after a further probe has been completed," she said.
Dr Ding added that the department had also issued a warning to the college management for failing to ensure its students adhere to the SOP on their premises.
"Referring to the news which has gone viral on social media where students have been slapped with compound for breaching SOP, the incident occurred at the college at 3.45pm on Monday.
"The on-duty Health officers found these students were breaching the SOP by not wearing masks, wearing masks improperly and failed to practice physical distancing.
"The health officers reported the incident to the college management on the same day after the compound was issued," she said adding that the compounds were issued under Regulation 17 of Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 2020.
State Health, Science, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Mohd Akmal Kamarudin had yesterday said the students should be held accountable for their action by paying the compounds.
He had said the people should respect Health officers who had been working tirelessly to break the chain of infection.