Kit Siang skewers PM over 'no double standards' claim

 

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s assurance that there would be “no double standards” over Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP) would be more convincing if he had explained what happened to the investigations into the alleged breach of quarantine by Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Khairuddin Aman Razali, said DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang.

"The prime minister's assurance in his Facebook live address (yesterday) would be convincing if he had explained what has happened to Khairuddin on his return from Turkey on July 7.

"Malaysians are still waiting for the prime minister to show leadership and example in Khairuddin’s case. How long must Malaysians wait?" asked Iskandar Puteri MP Lim in a statement.

Malaysiakini has learnt that the police have just resubmitted the investigation paper (IP) on Khairuddin to the Attorney-General's Chamber (AGC).

The Kuala Nerus MP was probed for violating quarantine orders after returning from a semi-official work trip to Turkey in July.

In August, the Health Ministry slapped an RM1,000 fine on Khairuddin, who also donated four months of his salary after the matter was exposed.

Khairuddin Aman Razali

According to Lim, “it was as plain as day that he (Muhyiddin) was guilty of ‘double standards’ while proclaiming that there would be ‘no double standards’".

"Muhyiddin must impress on his ministers the urgency to restore public trust and confidence in the war against Covid-19 and government leaders must stop exhorting the people to comply with the Covid-19 SOP while they themselves are not prepared to comply."

Not pulling his punches, he called Muhyiddin's address "the worst live speech he had made since becoming ‘backdoor’ prime minister on March 1."

"Adverse, anxious and angry reactions were immediate on the social media when he referred to himself as ‘Abah’ and jokingly threatened to ‘use the cane’ if people won’t comply with the government’s SOP to curb the disease… over the Covid-19 SOP.

"Public anger was palpable as a one-year-old child was reported dead from Covid-19, the youngest to die from the outbreak in the country," added Lim.

‘Will govt learn from mistakes?’

Lim also lent his support to Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah's view that Malaysians should not let frontliners’ efforts go to waste and come together to fight the common enemy rather than “continue to cry over the spilled milk over and over again”.

"But what is done about the ‘spilled milk’ is a gauge as to whether the government is going to learn from its mistakes and begin to deal with its trust deficit in the country and start to be inspirational examples to unite all Malaysians in an all-out war against the Covid-19 virus.

"It is somewhat tragic that the only person in the government whom the people trust on the Covid-19 issue is the Health director-general, who had to soldier on to conduct live press conference from home while under quarantine – as the health minister had delivered a self-knockout with his unimaginable utterings after being sworn in as minister in March," added Lim.

Lim also took Muhyiddin to task, claiming that Pakatan Harapan state government leaders were being excluded from crucial meetings.

“As a first step, Muhyiddin should ensure that the chief minister and menteri-menteri besar of Pakatan Harapan states of Penang, Selangor and Negri Sembilan are not excluded in the next meeting of the National Security Council meeting on Covid-19,” he said. - Mkini