KUALA LUMPUR – DAP’s Wong Kah Woh echoed calls for Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s resignation after the latter was fined for breaching Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) at an event in Johor, yesterday.
The Ipoh Timor MP also chided Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for defending Hishammuddin, who heads the Covid-19 Quartet Ministerial Meetings and is responsible for drafting pandemic SOPs.
“The response by the prime minister on Senior Minister Hishammuddin’s breach of SOPs is shocking.
“The issue is not whether it is a compoundable offence or crime. It is whether the government will demonstrate its political will to lead by example or continue to allow top government figures breaching the SOPs with minimal fines,” Wong wrote in a statement today.
Wong included a litany of other government leaders who were caught flouting SOPs in the past, including incidents dating back to early 2020 when Covid-19 regulations were just issued.
Among the incidents he highlighted were the multiple breaches by former federal minister Datuk Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali, when several ministers under the previous Perikatan Nasional government were caught crossing state lines to attend a wedding in Seremban, in March last year, and when Umno were fined following their election machinery launch for the Melaka polls.
Wong condemned Hishammuddin’s actions, saying he should be leading by example coming from the ministry responsible for drafting the SOPs.
“He is supposed to demonstrate to the people what can be done and what cannot. Yet, he has chosen to ignore it,” Wong wrote.
He said such conduct by government heads makes the sought-after amendments for the Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease Act 1988 (Act 342), which includes increased fines, pointless as the administration itself is flouting the regulations.
“It doesn’t serve any purpose at all if the government top figures are just glaringly ignorant of the law and regulations. Any amount of fines doesn’t affect them.
“It is Hishammuddin’s political responsibility to resign. No other options. It is all about the credibility of a government,” he added.
This comes after Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin revealed that Hishammuddin, along with caretaker Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad, MIC president Tan Sri S.A. Vigneswaran, and other guests would be fined for violating SOPs during the event on Sunday.
Khairy had said other party leaders and event organisers will also be fined under Act 342 following the incident.
The controversial incident was a Barisan Nasional event held at EduCity Kota Iskandar, in conjunction with the launch of Johor MIC’s brigade, with Hishammuddin, Hasni and Vigneswaran all present.
The incident came to light following in a 12-second video shared by Malay portal MalaysiaGazette, showing the venue packed with people flouting physical distancing rules, as many took out their mobile phones to film the political leaders who made their way through the crowd.
However, the majority of the attendees were wearing masks. – The Vibes, February 14, 2022
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