PETALING JAYA: Two MPs have hit out at Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob for his defence of senior minister Hishammuddin Hussein over his breach of Covid-19 SOPs.
DAP duo Charles Santiago and Wong Kah Woh said Hishammuddin must resign as his breach of the SOPs affected the government’s credibility and its call for people to abide by the rules.
Earlier today, Ismail said Hishammuddin does not have to resign over the breach of SOPs as it was not a crime.
“It is shameless of the prime minister to defend Hishammuddin. In other countries, ministers resign for violating SOPs.
“Hishammuddin must resign, too,” said Santiago in a tweet.
The Klang MP questioned how Hishammuddin could chair the Covid-19 Quartet Ministerial Meeting when he does not practise what he preaches.
“We hear (health minister) Khairy Jamaluddin and others asking us to abide by SOPs. As such, those in power have an added responsibility to ensure they abide by SOPs as well.
“How do you expect the people to comply when the prime minister has made compliance with SOPs a joke? Ismail is unfit to lead and must resign as well.”
Wong, the Ipoh Timur MP, meanwhile said the issue was not whether Hishammuddin’s breach of SOPs was a compoundable offence or a crime.
He said the issue at hand was whether the government has the political will to lead by example or if it will continue to allow top government figures to get away with breaching SOPs by paying fines.
“The response by the PM on Hishammuddin’s breach of SOPs is shocking. It simply shows that the PM is not serious in ensuring his members in the government adhere to the SOPs and efforts in combating Covid-19.”
Earlier today, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh called for Hishammuddin’s resignation, saying his breach of the SOPs was “unforgivable” given that he chairs the Covid-19 Quartet Ministers’ Meeting and is charged with managing and announcing Covid-19 SOPs.
Hishammuddin had been caught on video mingling in a crowd during the launch of the Johor MIC Brigade in Kota Iskandar yesterday. He later admitted in a tweet he was in the wrong and that “no one is above the law”.
Khairy subsequently ordered a compound notice to be issued to him for violating physical distancing rules. - FMT
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.