By William Leong Jee Ken
ACCORDING to newspaper reports, many students and teachers have been infected with the COVID-19 virus since schools reopened in March and April 2021. The newspapers report that the number of cases of those who tested positive is increasing.
It is clear and obvious that the Government cannot guarantee that the schools will be safe from the infection.
Unfortunately, the Government has not provided full and timely information on the schools and the cases of those who tested positive.
It is wrong and wholly irresponsible for the Government, in particular the Prime Minister, the Minister of Healthand Minister of Education to withhold such information on the schools affected from the teachers and parents.
The Prime Minister and these ministers cannot decide on behalf of the students, their parents, teachers and staff to expose them to the risk of COVID-19 infection. It is a matter of life and death. There is the risk of serious and even permanent damage to their health and well-being.
The Government cannot play God.
It is the Government’s duty and obligation to provide full and complete disclosure of all material facts on the COVID-19 positive cases in the schools. This is to enable the parents, teachers, staff and students to make a fully informed decision whether to run the risk of infection. Only they can make such a decision, not the Government.
I call on the Prime Minister to make immediate announcements and provide complete information to the parents, students, teachers and staff of COVID-19 cases of the schools concerned. – April 22, 2021
William Leong Jee Keen is a member of Parliament for Selayang.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
