What quarantine? Fresh from overseas, Azmin raises eyebrows with Putrajaya visit

KUALA LUMPUR – The quarantine status of International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali has come under massive scrutiny after he was observed being out in public although he had just returned from an official trip to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil said that Azmin’s actions have raised questions as he was openly recorded visiting the Putrajaya district police station on Monday while he still had not completed the 14 days required for quarantine.

“Azmin Ali returned from UAE, a country that reported a variant of concern (VoC) on May 5.

“According to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the Health Ministry (MoH), anyone who comes back from a country with VoC needs to be quarantined for 14 days.

“But why not him?” Fahmi asked on his personal Twitter account, requesting a response from Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

Azmin Ali pulang dari UAE (sebuah negara yg melaporkan VOC) pada 5 Mei. Ikut SOP @KKMPutrajaya, yg pulang perlu kuarantin 14 hari.

Tapi dia tidak?@DGHisham bagaimana? https://t.co/GPR7v3IfD7

— Fahmi Fadzil (@fahmi_fadzil) May 11, 2021

According to a report by The Vibes’ Bahasa Malaysia sister portal Getaran, Azmin’s actions have also been queried by netizens who characterised it as unfair, especially to common citizens who are subject to SOPs fixed by the government.

The issue has stirred a debate among many not only due to his dubious quarantine status but also the fact that Covid-19 cases are on the rise across the country.

Also expressing disappointment was Twitter user SarahZahari, who said that she herself was in the midst of a mandatory 14-day quarantine after having returned from UAE recently.

“He (Azmin) just came back from UAE. I also just arrived from UAE, and my situation now is that I have been given full vaccination with two doses. However, I am still to remain under quarantine for 14 days.

“Under the current situation, Azmin Ali can come out and spread the virus to many people. Is that action appropriate?” she asked on her Twitter account.

Azmin recently headed a trade and investment mission to Saudi Arabia and the UAE from April 26 to May 4 when he also took the opportunity to perform the umrah.

He had on Monday shared on Twitter about his visit to the district police headquarters in Putrajaya, raising eyebrows over his quarantine status.

Berkunjung ke IPD Putrajaya untuk bertemu Ketua Polis Daerah Putrajaya, ACP Mohd Fadzil Ali untuk menyerahkan sumbangan kepada Kelab Polis IPD Putrajaya hasil permohonan kepada ICU JPM. pic.twitter.com/gMpSA9AdXC

— Mohamed Azmin Ali • ?? (@AzminAli) May 10, 2021

Prior to this, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba had announced on February 8 that all cabinet members who make official overseas trips only need undergo quarantine for three days before the isolation condition was tightened again due to anxiety over the Covid-19 variant.

The government had on Monday announced the reinstatement of the 14-day quarantine period for everyone entering Malaysia from Singapore, after it had been reduced to seven days earlier. – The Vibes, May 12, 2021