PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A Malaysian single mother who spent eight days in jail for breaching the government's movement curbs has questioned why the daughter of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his son-in-law were sentenced to just a RM800 fine (S$263) each for the same offence.

"Why are there these double standards? I need an explanation for this, " B. Lisa Christina said in her Facebook post on Tuesday (May 4).

Lisa, who lives in a fifth-floor apartment unit, was arrested by police after she went to buy a packet drink and stopped to chat with three loitering Indonesians.

She was initially sentenced to 30 days in jail, but had her sentence reduced to a RM1,000 fine.

She pointed out that the fines given to Zahid's daughter, Nurulhidayah Ahmad Zahid and son-in-law Saiful Nizam Mohd Yusoff were lower than hers.

"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 fine, " Lisa posted on Facebook.

She added that she read on Tuesday (May 5) that Nurulhidayah and Saiful Nizam were given a RM800 fine "for an even bigger offence".

The breach by Zahid's daughter came to light after Nurulhidayah posted on Instagram on April 20 pictures of herself and her husband visiting Deputy Environment Minister Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad and separately, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.

Media practitioners have meanwhile questioned why they were stopped from being inside the court room when Nurulhidayah and her husband's case was being heard.

At least five reporters who were already inside the court room of the Putrajaya Magistrate's Court on Monday (May 4) were told by the authorities to leave without explanation, while non-reporters were allowed to remain, said Gerakan Media Merdeka (Independent Media Movement) journalists group in a statement on Tuesday.

Said National Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretary-general Chin Sung Chew in a Wednesday statement: "NUJ feels that such an action is a way to prevent journalists the freedom to obtain information, though it involves the kin of a politician or someone influential. NUJ objects an order such as this, which would go to show that Malaysia does not practice media freedom, what more when it happens in a court, that is the symbol of justice in this country."

Later, the office of the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court denied any order to bar the media from covering the case.

It said members of the public were asked to vacate the court room to comply with the Health Ministry's guidelines on social distancing but was unaware media members were present, said a statement quoted by Free Malaysia Today online news.

But the NUJ's president Farah Marshita Abdul Rahman in a separate statement quoted by Malaysiakini news site disputed this, saying all reporters were wearing press passes and yet they were told to leave the court room, and only friends of the two acccused couple were allowed in.

The issue of alleged double standards in how the authorities dealt with those who violated the movement control order (MCO) have been raised by the public on social media and by the Bar Council in the last few weeks.

Thousands of Malaysians were thrown into jail while awaiting trials, after being caught at roadblocks for breaking the MCO.

Yet many have pointed out at two deputy ministers, a Perak state Cabinet member and the Terengganu menteri besar who were pictured in separate events sitting and standing close to others - breaching the government's social distancing rules - but were not similarly thrown into jail.

The police instead launched at least two weeks of investigations before deciding to slap a fine on one deputy minister and the Perak official.

There was no action on the Terengganu chief minister after investigations.

Malaysia's Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures Within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020 carries a maximum fine of RM1,000, six months' imprisonment, or both, if convicted.

Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, asked on Wednesday over social media comments comparing the different treatment of Lisa and Nurulhidayah said it was up to the courts to decide on punishments for MCO violators.

"It is up to the judges or magistrates to decide the type pf punishment. Some will get RM800 fine while some get RM1,000 fine with a jail term," he told the media at his daily press briefing on Covid-19 issues. "The government is not involved in the sentencing and has no say in this matter. We don't meddle in the judiciary."