A month after wedding, Neelofa and relatives fined RM60,000 for SOP breach

The police have issued compound notices against celebrity Noor Neelofa Mohd Noor and her husband Muhammad Haris Mohd Ismail over violations of COVID-19 preventive meaures at their wedding and honeymoon.

Dang Wangi police chief ACP Mohamad Zainal Abdullah said the compound notices were issued under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease (Measures Within Infected Local Areas (No. 4) Regulations 2021.

“After the investigation paper into the violation of the conditional movement control order’s (CMCO) standard operating procedures (SOP) at Noor Neelofa’s wedding was returned by the Attorney General’s Chambers yesterday, a compound of RM20,000 with no discount is issued out to her,” he said in a statement.

Neelofa’s fine was for two offences, the first as the organiser for failing to adhere to the requirements on SOPs for social functions during the CMCO, by failing to ensure a minimum of one metre in social distancing.

“The second offence is for violating the permission granted to cross state borders, granted by officials under Sub-rule 4 (2) (d) of the same Regulations, since its related activities were outside the scope of what is permitted by the police.

“Similarly Muhammad Haris has been issued a RM10,000 compound with no discount for violating the permission granted to cross state borders granted by officials under Sub-rule 4 (2) (d) of the same Regulations, since its related activities were outside the scope of what is permitted by the police,” Zainal said.

Compound notices were also issued out to 20 members of Neelofa’s family who were fined RM1,500 each, for a total of RM30,000, for failing to ensure the minimum appropriate social distancing during her nikah ceremony.

“The compounds will be issued to all those involved today, totalling RM60,000. Therefore the police is advising the public to continue adhering to the CMCO, of which failure to do so will result in legal action,” he said.

Both Neelofa and Haris were criticised online after photographs of their wedding on March 27 showed that attending guests were seated closely to one another without social distancing.

Further controversy erupted when the newlyweds were photographed enjoying watersports activities on the holiday island of Langkawi in Kedah shortly after.

Police had said that the permit for interstate travel to Langkawi issued to Neelofa and three others were only for work purposes and not for a honeymoon, with the police also launching investigations on the couple to determine if they had been honeymooning at Langkawi and therefore in breach of COVID-19 SOPs.

Neelofa initially said she did not have to justify her trip to the public, and had even mocked critics by saying that they had given her free publicity with their criticism over the affair.

As the public backlash failed to subside, she was later reported apologising over any SOP breaches in the two matters, whether such breaches were done knowingly or beyond her knowledge. — Malay Mail

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