Veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang is demanding answers from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and the Attorney-General’s Chambers over PAS minister Khairuddin Aman Razali’s flouting of Covid-19 quarantine procedures.
In a statement today, Lim called on Muhyiddin to clarify whether or not the plantation industries and commodities minister has been placed on leave pending the outcome of the police investigation into the matter.
“It is a most strange and extraordinary way to celebrate Malaysia Day and to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Rukun Negara in that the prime minister kept his silence on the issue of whether his minister is on leave pending police investigations or otherwise,” said Lim.
There are conflicting claims surrounding the status of Khairuddin after highly-placed sources informed Malaysiakini the PAS leader is on leave pending the outcome of the probe and this was conveyed to the cabinet last week.
"Yes. (He is) on leave. Since last week. Pending investigations," said one source.
However, the minister's aide, Muhammad Faudzi Jalil, when contacted yesterday, said it was business as usual for his boss.
"No. The police have yet to say anything (on the probe). He (the minister) just got back from visiting a factory at Bukit Ibam in Muadzam Shah.
"He is working like usual," he told Malaysiakini.
Lim blasted the authorities over the uncertainty, questioning why are they taking such an inordinately long time to complete their investigations into Khairuddin’s violation of Covid-19 mandatory quarantine SOPs on his return from Turkey on July 7.
"Two weeks ago, the police declared that they were expecting to wrap up their probe into Khairuddin’s case of July 7 with Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department deputy director Mior Faridalathrash Wahid saying that the police will be submitting their findings to the Attorney-General’s Chambers soon.
Contacted yesterday, Mior said the Attorney-General's Chambers has yet to revert to the police regarding its investigation papers.
"Why is the Attorney-General’s Chambers taking such an inordinately long time to decide on Khairuddin’s case?" asked Lim, adding that the AGC falls under the jurisdiction of the de facto law minister Takiyuddin Hassan, also from PAS.
He also took the 66th PAS National Delegates Assembly to task for ignoring Khairuddin's action, asking if they would have ignored Khairuddin’s violation if he had not donated RM50,000 to his party.
The minister landed in the spotlight when it was revealed that he failed to comply with the compulsory 14-day Covid-19 home quarantine order following the trip to Turkey in July.
Last month, he dismissed calls for his resignation over the matter, arguing that he had not erred in his duties as a minister.
"I did not do anything wrong concerning my job, it only involved an error over the issue of the SOP.
"I have my own view, but I leave it to the police (to investigate). The Health Ministry has also issued a statement. For me, it (the issue) is solved, although I have my own view," he said.
Khairuddin also apologised for his mistake and vowed to donate his minister's salary from March to August to the country's Covid-19 fund.
The Health Ministry had slapped the minister with an RM1,000 compound for the offence while the police have also recorded his statement. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.