KOTA KINABALU – The dine-in blunder has become a bitter pill for the state government after Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob chided Sabah for going against an existing federal directive.
Following the blunder, the chief minister’s office and state ministries have kept mum over the about-turn today.
However, state opposition leaders are now slamming Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Md Noor, saying his decision will be seen as weak by those in federal power.
Warisan’s Sepanggar MP Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman said Hajiji should defend his decision as he is more familiar with the situation in Sabah than federal ministers.
Expressing his sympathies, Azis added that the dine-in confusion is among a host of reasons for why state assemblies and Parliament should reconvene, as it allows elected officials to explain the real situation on the ground to their fellow lawmakers.
“Hajiji is now seen as powerless over the state he leads. Aside from confusing the public, Hajiji may not fully understand the limitation of state powers when announcing SOPs (standard operating procedures).”
Azis added that Sabah should lift the restriction in stages.
“The federal government should have formulated policies taking account of the situation in each state.
“For instance, states with fewer cases should be allowed to reopen some economic sectors so locals can generate some income.
“The situation in Sabah is not the same as Selangor. The situation in Sepanggar will not be the same as in Kinabatangan,” he said.
Meanwhile, DAP’s Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin said Ismail Sabri’s “criticism” is “disturbing” when Sabah is supposed to have autonomy.
“So what is Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) going to do now? Follow the federal decision or a U-turn?
“Will GRS say no? This is our own economy, our own people and we are entitled to our decision and SOPs.”
Ismail Sabri today said the state government’s decision to relax certain SOPs is not part of the National Security Council’s guidelines.
“We have decided that there must be standard SOPs for the entire nation, so states should not make their own SOPs which differ,” he was quoted as saying by Malay Mail.
Yesterday, Hajiji said dine-ins would be allowed in the state today onwards, as well as non-contact sports and barbershops. – The Vibes, June 29, 2021
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