NETIZENS went up in arms after a viral video showing PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim being reprimanded for not wearing face mask during an open door ceramah session went viral on social media.
In the one-minute video, Anwar was seen speaking to a crowd at the Larkin state constituency when an unknown official came to the stage and said something to the former.
Following the discussion, Anwar said “Baik, Baik, Baik” (okay) before asking the official to show proof if any regulations were breached.
Upon reading the note, the PKR leader stated: “This is a regulation made by the Elections Commission (EC), not premised on health matters.
“Please sit away from me. If you come close, I will wear it (face mask). If you come close by three feet, I will wear it. If you’re far away, I won’t wear it.
“Everyone including the WHO (World Health Organization) and Health Ministry have said that if you’re are far away, there is no need to wear it,” the Port Dickson MP quipped.
He also told the crowd that as the Opposition Leader at the Parliament, the Speaker instructs him to remove his face mask when speaking.
“But when I’m seated, I must wear it. If you sit close to someone, wear it. If you’re not seated close to people, not need to wear it. You don’t have to wear face mask if you’re sleeping alone as well,” he told the cheering crowd.
Lauding Anwar’s response to the matter, user Adzman Kamaruddin reminded EC officials of how the former was calm even when facing imprisonment and disrupting his speech would not deter his resolve.
(This guy was calm even when in prison and you try to scare him off the stage? This is Anwar Ibrahim. Please enforce the laws fairly or it will not be called laws anymore)
EC officer just doing his job
User Waiming replied:
Netizen Shinkai responded by posting two captions, showing how Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob himself was not wearing a face mask when giving a speech during the Jelajah Aspirasi Keluarga Malaysia event.
However, several netizens felt sorry for the EC official who unfortunately had to get schooled on rules by the former deputy prime minister.
(Poor EC officer. He tried to enforce a “law”, only to get schooled by Anwar)
Netizen Ku Mansor quipped: 
(He was just doing his job. Under EC’s SOP, the speaker must wear a face mask. This is different rule compared to the one at the Parliament) – March 6, 2022.
