KUALA LUMPUR – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had not breached any directive from the Ministry of Health (MoH), his office said today, after social media users rapped the prime minister for not wearing a pink wristband to mark him as being on home quarantine.
In a statement, the office said he is not required to wear the wristband as he was advised to undergo self-quarantine and conduct self-monitoring at home for 14 days. He also needs to use the home assessment tool in the MySejahtera mobile app.
The advice by MoH did not require Muhyiddin to wear the pink surveillance tag commonly issued to those who were placed under mandatory quarantine.
“Therefore, allegations that the prime minister had gone against MoH’s instructions are untrue,” the office said.
The prime minister was chastised by netizens after he was seen without the pink wristband while addressing the nation on the health crisis from his residence yesterday.
His office pointed out that Muhyiddin was last screened for the Covid-19 virus on October 5 and was confirmed as being negative on October 6.
Prior to that, it added, swab tests taken by Muhyiddin over the span of three weeks, on September 22, 26, and 29, were also found negative.
“The prime minister, however, was advised to immediately receive treatment at the nearest health facility if he experienced any symptoms during the period under observation,” the office said.
“Up until now, the prime minister is in good health… In spite of this, he still continues to observe self-quarantine until he has completed the 14-day duration set by MoH.”
Muhyiddin and Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah are among a number of senior government officials ordered to undergo home quarantine.
They were present at a special National Security Council (NSC) meeting on Covid-19 that was also attended by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk
Seri Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, who was later confirmed to be positive for the coronavirus on October 5.
In a statement, Muhyiddin said he and all those who were at the meeting began their 14-day quarantine starting October 3, following a risk assessment by the ministry. – The Vibes, October 7, 2020.
