Umno Youth chief questions effectiveness of ministers, government’s communications over school closures

 

Umno Youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki questioned why the senior minister was not making the announcements personally. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 — Umno Youth Chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has questioned the effectiveness of the government’s ministers after delayed instructions to close schools despite several confirmed Covid-19 cases being detected among students and teachers. 

Asyraf, through a post on his Facebook page, criticised the education minister without naming him, pointing out how Malaysian students and parents have been waiting for directions from the ministry in light of the recent spike in Covid-19 cases. 

He questioned why the senior minister was not making the announcements personally.

“It has been a week and the rakyat are getting restless as they anxiously wait for feedback from the education minister, who is also a senior federal minister, concerning the status of schools as the wave of Covid-19 cases now spread.

“In the end the prime minister himself made a statement. The Prime Minister cannot be announcing everything,” Asyraf wrote in the statement. 

Radzi Jidin is the education minister.

Asyraf said as a minister, one should be in constant communication with the public while being open to constructive criticism. 

“To receive criticism is normal, but do not let it reach a point where the people are left in the dark until they lose their faith and confidence. 

“What are all your views concerning the government’s current communication strategies?,” he questioned. 

This was after some schools continued to have classes as usual despite several confirmed Covid-19 cases among students and teachers, citing no such instruction from the Education Ministry directing them to halt classes. 

Yesterday Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the Education Ministry has the authority to instruct schools to close if there are confirmed Covid-19 infections among students or staff. 

Muhyiddin had said such directives could be relayed to the schools for them to immediately stop operations, even before a risk assessment test is conducted by the Health Ministry.

Following Muhyiddin’s statement, the Education Ministry released an official circular informing of the closure of two schools in Klang Valley for a week, and how schools in Sabah would be closed for two weeks following a spike in cases.  - malaymail