Covid-19 risks at MMA’s 100-day fest must be addressed by Putrajaya, argues Kit Siang

Malaysia – The government must explain why it breached Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) during its 100-day Aspirasi Keluarga Malaysia event, according to DAP’s Lim Kit Siang, who cited the Malaysian Medical Association’s outrage over the issue.

According to the Iskandar Puteri MP, MMA president Dr Koh Kar Chai was justified in raising concerns about the government’s motivation for holding the event in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. He added that the situation was aggravated by the “chicken feed” fine imposed on the government department that organized the event.

Yesterday, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin revealed that the event’s organizer had been fined RM1,000 for failing to observe Covid-19 standard operating procedures at the event, after the publication of images showing the location crowded with guests without physical distance.

Lim debated that if the Prime Minister does not step up to the plate in the battle against the Covid-19 outbreak, how can the Cabinet?

He stated that the government’s own SOPS were disregarded at an event organized by the government, undermining Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s 90 percent approval rating for his administration’s first 100 days in office.

After the event’s potential infractions were made public, Dr Koh questioned bluntly whether the government had made raising Malaysia’s Covid-19 cases a goal for the next 100 days, adding that the packed celebration occurred as the nation braced for a fresh wave of omicron infections.

Today, Lim said that the government must rectify the situation by conveying a clear message to Malaysia about the pandemic’s persistent seriousness.

He noted that the minister in charge of the programming should resign, and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri should issue a public apology to all Malaysians for the event’s clear breach of the Covid-19 SOPs.

The 100-day Aspirasi Keluarga Malaysia was a four-day event hosted at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre to celebrate the performance of the present administration since August.

The government had issued text messages inviting the public to the event and had opened counters for drastically reduced traffic fine payments, resulting in numbers exceeding the venue’s legal capacity. Malaysia reported 5,041 new Covid-19 infections yesterday