SEREMBAN, May 18 — Twelve foreign workers of a construction company here were each compounded RM1,500 for flouting the standard operating procedure (SOP) of the Movement Control Order (MCO) by travelling in a vehicle exceeding the permitted capacity yesterday.
Jempol District Police chief Supt Hoo Chang Hook said another foreign worker, who was also in the lorry, was detained for not having a valid travel document while the local lorry driver was not compounded.
He said police stopped the vehicle at a roadblock at the Kilometre (km) 1 of Jalan Rompin-Pasir Besar, Gemas, about 60 km from here, at about 5.30 pm as it had exceeded the permitted capacity by carrying 14 people. The 13 Bangladeshi and Indian workers are aged between 25 and 47.
They were all being ferried by the 59-year-old lorry driver to instal a tower at Kok Foh, Rompin, he said, adding that an investigation found that 12 of the workers had valid work permits while one did not have a valid travel permit.
Hoo said in a statement today that the individual was then detained and is being investigated under Section 269 of the Penal Code and Section 6 (1) (c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Hoo said the employer of the workers would also be called to help in the investigation and a compound would be issued.
He said the employer could be compounded RM10,000 for using a vehicle that did not allow physical distancing under Section 17 (1) Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).
