Annuar ridiculed for saying people no longer fear Covid-19

 

Federal territories minister Annuar Musa said Malaysians’ apparent lack of fear of Covid-19 proved that the government had succeeded in controlling the pandemic. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Federal territories minister Annuar Musa has become the subject of ridicule on social media after saying that people are seemingly unafraid of Covid-19, which he took to be an indicator of the country’s success in controlling the pandemic.

Speaking at a forum organised by HarakahDaily last night, the Ketereh MP said people flouted government restrictions on travel – which, he felt, meant that they were not concerned about contracting Covid-19.

“To me, this is an indication that we have successfully controlled this outbreak, that it is no longer being considered as such by some people. That shows success,” Malaysiakini quoted him as saying.

In response, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii today said Annuar’s comments were highly insensitive to the countless Malaysians suffering because of the pandemic and “incompetence of the government”.

Meanwhile, MUDA co-founder Lim Wei Jiet compared Annuar’s comments to people seemingly unafraid of being in a burning house just because the fire department had attempted to put it out.

“(People not being afraid) of the fire about to engulf them in a burning house indicates we have successfully controlled this fire (to the point) that it is no longer considered a fire by some people – Bomba,” he wrote on Twitter.

“This is how ridiculous he sounds.”

PKR’s Fahmi Fadzil was more succinct.

“Are you for real?” asked the Lembah Pantai MP.

Azrul Mohd Khalib, chief executive of the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, noted that such statements were why “such people cannot be allowed to be part of government”.

In reply, Twitter user @markcheongwl said he had to check that the news was not published on a satire site. - FMT