SENIOR Minister (Defence) Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein should no longer be the chair of the COVID-19 Quartet Ministers’ Meeting anymore following his standard operating procedure (SOP) breach, said Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh.
“This is another blatant reckless act by the Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership after forcing a state election on the people who are still recovering from COVID-19.
“This is a grave leadership failure. Hishammuddin must resign or be removed as senior minister too. How can Malaysians trust him to decide on SOPs for us?” she queried, in a statement.
Yesterday, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin instructed his ministry to slap three senior BN leaders with compounds after they were found violating physical distancing rules at a MIC event in Kota Iskandar, Johor.
The leaders found violating COVID-19 SOP were Hishammuddin, MIC president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran and Johor BN chairperson Datuk Hasni Mohammad.
“I have instructed health ministry officers to issue compounds to Hishammuddin, Hasni, Vigneswaran, key leaders present and the event organisers.
“The Health Ministry will continue to monitor SOPs in conjunction with the Johor state elections,” the Rembau MP was reported as saying via a tweet.
In response, Hishammuddin acknowledged his faults, adding that he merely attended the event as a guest.
“I attended as a guest and there were weaknesses on the part of the organisers to control the crowd. But as I said – salah tetap salah (I was wrong)
“No one is above the law including myself and this should serve as a lesson for us all,” the Sembrong MP tweeted.
When lawmaker becomes law breaker
Touching on the matter, Yeoh reminded Hishammuddin that as the chair of the Quartet Minister’s Meeting (comprising the defence, health, finance as well as multimedia and communication ministries), he had announced various national COVID-19 SOPs for the public to follow.
These included umrah pilgrimage, MyTravelPass and had even promised that the Johor state polls would be conducted safely.
“As such, it is unforgivable for him to be breaching COVID-19 SOP at an event. Even though the health minister had announced that compounds would be issued to them, I find it inexcusable for a senior minister to have erred this way.
“Bear in mind that he has access to outriders, bodyguards and various special officers, just to be found helpless with the breach of COVID-19 SOP at such a crowded event,” she mentioned.
The former deputy minister remarked: “This is a clear display of arrogance and selfishness by the BN leadership in prioritising Johor politics above the wellbeing of the people.” – Feb 14, 2022
