KUALA LUMPUR – Senior minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today said he will still hold his daily Covid-19 press briefings to ensure the public is informed on the latest announcements pertaining to the pandemic.
This is after DAP’s Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh called out Ismail Sabri, urging him to cease his briefings as they tend to create confusion among the public.
He said not providing daily updates to the people will only make the government appear to be taking a backseat, in regards to the handling of the Covid-19 situation.
“The public wants to know what actions the authorities are taking against those who violate government standard operating procedures (SOPs), because they are worried.
“For instance, are actions taken against individuals who do not wear face masks in malls? If we don’t report this, the people will think that we are not doing anything.
“The rakyat is also worried about illegal immigrants entering the country. Of course, they will be concerned if these migrants continue to illegally enter Malaysia. That is why I have to report on this everyday,” he said in his press briefing that was carried live today.
Instead of taking aim at him, he urged all quarters to put aside political differences and work together to curb the spread of Covid-19.
In a tweet last night, Yeoh urged Ismail to stop his daily briefings if he has no substantive announcements to make that would assist the rakyat.
Saya gesa @IsmailSabri60 hentikan sidang media harian beliau kalau tidak ada pengumuman substantif membantu rakyat. Sidang media bukan untuk mempromosikan baju atau pameran rak beliau. Semakin banyak yang diumumkan, semakin keliru orang awam dibuatnya!https://t.co/jV8Lai716Y
— Hannah Yeoh (@hannahyeoh) October 21, 2020
“Press conferences are not meant for promoting shirts or display cabinets. The more announcements made, the more confused the public will become,” she said.
Yeoh was referring to Ismail Sabri’s knack of changing up every press conference, including his variety of batik shirts, and his rack as his backdrop, which have different displays almost everyday.
Ismail said: “She is an opposition, so of course she will oppose. This cabinet behind me has always been here, am I supposed to throw it away?
“I don’t know what I am even supposed to put on the display. It has alway been there, so I just leave it. I am not even promoting the items on it.” – The Vibes, October 22, 2020
