ALOR STAR – Zuraida Kamaruddin has courted controversy by showing up at two public events when she was supposed to be under home quarantine following the detection of a coronavirus case at a Langkawi programme she attended on Sunday.
The housing and local government minister was present in Port Klang on Monday – a visit she shared about on Facebook – and at another event the following day.
Most of the Langkawi programme’s participants were notified of the Covid-19 infection the morning after the event.
Zuraida has not commented on her public appearances this week, but her political secretary, Nor Hizwan Ahmad, gave an assurance that health and safety precautions were taken.
He said Zuraida was informed on Monday evening that she had come into close contact with a Covid-19 patient the day before.
“Zuraida returned from Sabah on September 26 and underwent a swab test at KLIA2 upon arrival. The immediate result was negative.
“The next day, she attended the programme in Langkawi in the morning and returned (to Kuala Lumpur) the same afternoon.”
The minister was in Port Klang for the Malaysia Urban Forum programme.
Nor Hizwan said his boss underwent a swab test on September 29, and the result came back negative.
Nonetheless, she is undergoing a two-week home quarantine as recommended by the Health Ministry.
The patient in Langkawi is a special officer to Kedah exco Azman Nasrudin who had just returned from Sabah.
Fellow exco Datuk Dr Mohd Hayati Othman has confirmed that Azman tested positive.
The Lunas assemblyman has been admitted to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital.
All those who were at the Langkawi event have been asked to get tested for the coronavirus and observe a 14-day quarantine starting Monday. – The Vibes, October 2, 2020