Malaysia

Defence of Sanusi’s freezer container ‘joke’ falls flat

Kedah PAS Youth chief says MB usually jovial with media, netizens unconvinced

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 07 Aug 2021 11:26AM

Defence of Sanusi’s freezer container ‘joke’ falls flat
Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor faced fierce public backlash after his joke about Covid-19 freezer containers left a bad taste in the public’s mouth. – UPDA Facebook pic, August 7, 2021

KUALA LUMPUR – Kedah PAS Youth chief Nurul Amin Hamid is attempting to defend his boss, Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, after fierce public backlash over the latter’s comments on freezer containers for Covid-19 victims. 

Nurul Amin yesterday tweeted that Sanusi is known to joke around with reporters and had no intention of relating his remarks to Covid-19 patients and victims.

“Don’t just take snippets of the video. The state government’s efforts is to open a mega vaccination centre in the Kuala Muda district.

“It is to save the people, to achieve herd immunity quicker. But this has been ‘sunk’ by the RBA. Read the full news.

“It (adding freezer containers) is a proactive step by the state to address the delay in funeral rites for Covid victims. Kedah has a lot of news about its success, but the RBA only picks one to put the rest down.”

It is unclear what RBA Nurul Amin is referring to, but it is believed that he is referencing a group of cybertroopers.

However, his defence of Sanusi did not go down well.

Netizens were quick to reply to Nurul Amin, mostly saying Sanusi, as menteri besar, should not have made such remarks during a press conference.

@x47ang said: “I watched the entire video. As a MB, his jokes were insensitive and a press conference is not the right place. If it is wrong and if he is sincere, just apologise.”

Similarly, @HelmiZafawi said it was not relevant to joke about containers and the dead.

“If he wanted to joke with his close friends in a coffee shop, maybe it’s ok but not during a press conference where the public is watching.”

Meanwhile, @NasiMarhaen said Sanusi should have just highlighted the aid.

“It wasn’t necessary to make stupid jokes. Imagine how others whose family members died and their bodies are still in those containers? How would you feel?”

Yesterday, Sanusi’s remarks during a press conference on freezer containers to hold Covid-19 victims were widely panned.

“There are enough funeral containers, who wants to book for a spot, give us your name,” he had said jokingly.

“It’s not like we want the people of Kedah to die. People in Sg Petani must adhere to the SOPs (standard operating procedures). The hospitals are full.” – The Vibes, August 7, 2021

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