Kit Siang wonders if hidden hands are behind Tiong's attacks on Health DG

 

DAP's Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang has questioned if Bintulu MP Tiong King Sing's attacks on Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah are more than what they seem.

Lim said Tiong was clearly very jealous and envious of Noor Hisham’s “daily news conference”. Is he speaking for himself or for somebody else, he asked.

This is after Tiong launched an attack against Health Ministry Noor Hisham over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic on Wednesday.

Tiong had, among others, complained that Noor Hisham did not visit Sabah, which was worst-hit by the pandemic, accusing him of being "afraid to die" and insinuated that he harboured ambitions to become the World Health Organization (WHO) director-general.

Noor Hisham had taken over the daily press conferences on Covid-19 since March after Health Minister Dr Adham Baba made several gaffes, including suggesting that drinking warm water could protect a person against Covid-19.

Lim said Tiong was being "very mean and personal" for his insinuations.

"In the first place, I would regard it as a special honour to Malaysia if a Malaysian like Noor Hisham is appointed as WHO director-general. Clearly, there are petty-minded people who think otherwise.

"It is Tiong King Sing who should be removed as Malaysia’s special envoy to China for this faux pax in Parliament on Wednesday, which was not only an attack on Noor Hisham but on all the frontliners in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic," Lim said.

There was no other dignified option for Tiong, he said, other than to apologise in Parliament next Monday for his "very personal, malicious and cowardly" attack on Noor Hisham.

Lim further noted that Tiong's attack on the handling of Covid-19 was only reserved for Noor Hisham.

Tiong King Sing is also Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) president.

He asked why did Tiong not hold Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin responsible if he was truly unhappy with the handling of the pandemic.

"Why spare the prime minister, who is finally responsible for the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, as he is the chairperson of the National Security Council dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.

"It is noteworthy that Tiong had the full support of Umno in his attack on Noor Hisham," he said.

Yesterday, Deputy Health Minister Noor Azmi Ghazali came to Noor Hisham's defence, calling him the country's number one frontliner who has "dedicated a huge part of his life" in defending Malaysia.

However, Lim questioned Adham's silence on the entire episode.

"When a health minister cannot even come to the defence of his Health director-general, what is the use of the health minister?" he said.

Adham had in June said people should stop making "negative assumptions" about his relationship with Noor Hisham.

Lim also questioned the Health Ministry's priorities during the Covid-19 pandemic after Noor Azmi yesterday launched an event to light up Putrajaya in honour of the country's medical frontliners.

"In this connection, I share the sentiments of the Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who questioned the Health Ministry’s priorities after it launched a frontliner appreciation campaign that involved lighting up parts of Putrajaya.

"While the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed gaps in the healthcare infrastructure across the country, to the extent that medical personnel in Sabah had to use their personal vehicles as ambulances for patients from flooded rural areas, it is dubious how struggling frontliners in Sabah would feel appreciated by the ministry’s blue lighting-up campaign in Putrajaya," Lim added. - Mkini