Aspirasi questions exemption of ministers from quarantine
KUCHING: Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) has urged Local Government and Housing Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian to explain the exemption for ministers and their entourage to undergo the 14- day mandatory quarantine.
In a statement, Aspirasi chairman Buln Ribos also asked how the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) classifies ‘essential services’ and the justification for ministers to be defined as providing ‘essential services’.
“Why is there one set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for arrivals into Sarawak, and a privileged SOP for ministers and politicians entering Sarawak? Does it make any sense to assume that the Covid-19 virus knows who is a minister and politician, from an ordinary citizen?
“Can Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian give a guarantee that a minister entering Sarawak can never be a super spreader, especially after knowing that the current strain of Coronavirus in the third wave seems to have a much higher infectious rate?” he asked.
According to Buln, the pandemic must not be taken lightly, with different sets of security protocols for different segments of the society.
“Does ‘essential services’ rendered by a minister supersede the ‘ essential SOP and safety protocol’ to be observed by ordinary people for the security of the nation facing a pandemic? This double standard which puts people’s lives at risk must stop immediately,” he added.
Buln also urged SDMC to realign its SOP and safety protocol for all citizens regardless of their profession.
“It is for standardisation and consistency, including for the health security of the nation, if we are interested to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic as a nation,” he said.
Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii on Wednesday had questioned the 14- day quarantine exemption for ministers entering Sarawak, saying the Covid-19 virus doesn’t recognise positions.
He said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba and Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof entered the state without undergoing the 14- day mandatory quarantine set by SDMC.
“Although it was learnt that the ministers and their officers were exempted from quarantine as they were here for official duties, the virus does not recognise positions or even ‘official business’. So, there shouldn’t be any ‘ double standards’ when it comes to implementing SOPs,” he wrote on Facebook.
SDMC had made it mandatory for all Malaysians entering Sarawak from the peninsula from October 10 onwards to undergo a 14- day quarantine at designated centres.