UPDATE: According to a report by Free Malaysia Today which contacted the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC), there is no need to register with MySejahtera during ‘brief encounters’ such as pumping fuel, unless the motorist enters the store to make payment.

If you’re refuelling your vehicle today, it’s advisable to walk over to the station store to scan the MySejahtera QR code with your mobilephone (or register as per SOP). This could save you RM1,000 in case a policeman comes by and checks and you cannot show that you have registered.

Sounds ridiculous? Motorists around the country think so, especially when this ‘new’ SOP has been announced out of the blue when it was never ever said to be required in the 237 days that the country has been under a Movement Control Order of one level or another.

Never mentioned before
It is not something that the Ministry of Health or the National Security Council (MKN) has mentioned either. In fact, it only came to light in a report in The Maiay Mail, quoting a report in The China Press. The report said that the requirement was confirmed by Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department deputy director, DCP Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid.

The reason for the requirement which he gave? So that if there were cases of COVID-19 in the area [around the petrol station], the police could carry out contact tracing with the data collected by the app. He explained that if people did not register when they were pumping fuel, the police would be unable to trace them when required. In that case, we may also have to register just going to a postbox to mail a letter (not that many people do that nowadays).

There has already been at least once case, based on the China Press report, where a person was apparently given a summons for not registering while he pumped fuel, and the standard fine is RM1,000.

MKN people not clear either
At this time, it seems there is no clarity in the matter. A reporter at Sin Chew Daily contacted the MKN and got conflicting answers, so it seems that this SOP needs to be clarified quickly as thousands of motorists and motorcyclists refuel daily. Furthermore, the Bukit Aman officer said face masks must be work even when pumping fuel although earlier, another police officer said it is not necessary as the fuel pump is not a crowded area. DCP Datuk Mior, however, classifies it as a public area and therefore a face mask is required – even though the next person may be 10 metres away.

If the MKN confirms the police interpretation, then station operators may put the QR codes on the pumps for the convenience of customers. After all, why make them walk all the way to the store – and risk coming in contact with others along the way – just to scan for registration?

Abide by one law, break another
But then comes a second problem: in order to abide by the law on registering, you must break another law! That law concerns use of mobilephones at the pumps, which is forbidden for safety reasons. So you may save yourself RM1,000 but then get nailed for being caught using the phone!

Most Malaysians are well aware of the need to stop the spread of the coronavirus and observe the SOPs which are generally reasonable. However, this one about registering when pumping fuel is illogical and unnecessary and hopefully, we’ll hear from Minister Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob at the daily MKN briefing today that it is a ‘misunderstanding’ (which would save face those who make their own interpretations).