White Paper on vaccines not a witchhunt, says DAP’s Boo

 

The government says a White Paper on vaccine procurement is to be tabled, but a member of the previous government said everything had been done by the book.

PETALING JAYA: A Johor DAP leader who previously questioned government overspending on Covid-19 vaccines, says a White Paper on the matter is not meant to persecute anyone.

The White Paper is meant to explore solutions to existing problems, said Dr Boo Cheng Hau, a committee member of Johor DAP.

He said Marzuki Mohamad, an aide to former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, did not understand the role of a government White Paper when Marzuki had questioned the need for publishing a White Paper.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had recently revealed that some parts of the Covid-19 vaccine procurement were signed off by ministers then in power without the agreement of the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

He said the health ministry would table a White Paper on the vaccine procurement and the costs incurred.

Marzuki said the procurement had gone by the book and the matter had been looked into by the Public Accounts Committee.

Boo told FMT: “It’s important for the health minister to present a White Paper on the findings of the Public Accounts Committee.”

He said: “Many are too quick to jump to conclusion that it’s meant to persecute someone politically. We should look at it positively in which the government is more accountable and willing to respond to any queries of impropriety in allocating government funds and provide solutions to the questions raised.”

Two years ago Boo had accused Putrajaya of overspending between RM900 million and RM 1.4 billion on buying the vaccines, which cost more for a dose compared to the US.

Boo said it was in the public’s interest to investigate and recommend measures to prevent possible abuse or power and misappropriation. - FMT