KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry came under attack in the Dewan Rakyat today over its inconsistency in applying Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP) on MPs.
Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman (Warisan-Sepanggar) questioned Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah over how the quarantine rules were applied.
He brought up the quarantine status of Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan (pix, PN-Keningau) which came into question in the Dewan.
Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun earlier in the day had asked Kitingan to leave the Dewan until an explanation on his quarantine status can be determined.
Azhar had said he was told that Kitingan had started his quarantine on Nov 12 and received his release order from the Health Ministry on Nov 23.
Azis said MPs who had travelled to Sabah were advised by the Health Ministry and the National Security Council to observe a 14-day quarantine rule.
Azis said by following the rules he had to skip a family member’s funeral recently.
“The right person for us to ask is the Health Ministry DG. Why was this policy suddenly changed? Are Government MPs immune from Covid-19?” he asked during a press conference in Parliament.
Azis claimed Kitingan was spotted in Kota Kinabalu on Nov 13 despite his quarantine beginning on Nov 12.
He said even if Kitingan had started his self-quarantine from Nov 12, it would have only been 12 days (up until today).
He said this does not fulfil the 14-day requirement for MPs returning from Sabah to attend Parliament.
Azis said Azhar had asked for more time to check with the Health authorities over the matter, and said opposition MPs are still waiting for an explanation.
Azis said the recent emergency declaration in Batu Sapi was a clear sign that Covid-19 cases are still serious in Sabah.
