The Health Ministry did not take action against three meetings held by government MPs during the "total lockdown" period because no complaints were filed.
"Therefore, it cannot be ascertained if there are any breaches of Covid-19 protocols," said the Health Ministry in a written reply to Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng.
Specifically, Lip Eng referred to three Kuala Lumpur meetings - at a mansion along Jalan Bellamy on July 2, 2021 (above) and meetings at Wisma Perwira on July 5, 2021 and Aug 1, 2021.
At the time, the Klang Valley was under "total lockdown" since June 1 which put a ban on in-person meetings. Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani even issued a warning on July 6, 2021.
The emergency was also in place, which allowed for fines of up to RM10,000 for Covid-19 protocol breaches.
During that period, a small group of Umno MPs, including Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, were working to oust Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister.
Malaysiakini reported on the first meeting of MPs at Jalan Bellamy. This was corroborated by Johor Bahru Umno division chief Shahrir Samad.
Meanwhile, numerous media organisations reported on the meeting of BN MPs at Wisma Perwira on July 5 while the Aug 1 meeting has been corroborated by multiple sources.
During the second and third meeting, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, then the deputy prime minister and minister for defence, was in attendance.
He was eventually appointed prime minister on Aug 20 - weeks after those meetings.
Incidentally, Wisma Perwira is owned by the defence ministry. The defence ministry also owns a property at Jalan Bellamy. It is uncertain if that property was used for the July 2 meeting.
In the written reply to Lip Eng, the Health Ministry stressed it will not compromise on Covid-19 protocol breaches regardless of status.
This position taken by the Health Ministry on the three meetings comes at a time when Putrajaya is trying to convince MPs to amend the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 to allow for heftier fines.
Putrajaya wants to increase the maximum fine from RM1,000 to RM10,000 for individuals and to RM1 million for bodies and corporations.
To another of Lip Eng's questions, the Health Ministry said there were 217,301 fines issued under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 between April 1, 2020 and Feb 14, 2022.
However, only 47 percent - or 102,644 - of those fines were paid, amounting to RM87.6 million.
SOP double standards at rock concert
In a related development, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said Putrajaya cannot be trusted to enforce heavier penalties in the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.
He said this is because of double standards on display during the ongoing Johor election campaign.
"The latest incident two days ago involved a large crowd dancing in a violent manner involving jumping up and down and deliberately colliding with other dancers without social distancing at a rock music concert in Air Hitam, Johor.
"The rock music concert is linked to the Communications and Multimedia Ministry and was attended by its minister Annuar Musa.
"Not every ordinary Malaysian is wealthy like ministers who can afford the increased RM10,000 fines nor every company can survive like ministries when slapped with a RM1 million compound fine," said Guan Eng.
He also accused the government of only attempting to pass the legislation after the Johor elections concluded to give BN the advantage. - Mkini
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