Opposition lawmakers call out Health D-G over Parliament suspension, question MPs' meeting at PM's residence
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Several Opposition MPs are questioning Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah’s advice to shut down Parliament over Covid-19 concerns.
On Twitter, Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil questioned Dr Noor Hisham on why similar advice was not given last week after reports of Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s home being visited by several MPs.
"Where was the concerned advice from @DGHisham when tens of people went back and forth to Muhyiddin's house last week?
"And many of those people also attended Parliament? Selective concern?" asked Fahmi.
Similarly, Seremban MP Anthony Loke blasted Dr Noor Hisham’s advice, saying that a positivity rate of only 1 per cent is not an appropriate reason to close Parliament for two weeks.
“Screenings involving more than 1,000 people were held in Parliament last Thursday, and the positivity rate is only 1 per cent, thus not a good enough reason to close Parliament for two weeks.
“I consider Tan Sri Noor Hisham’s statement that Opposition representatives agreed with the postponement of Parliament as misleading,” he said.
Yesterday, the Health Ministry announced that the special sitting of the Dewan Rakyat will be postponed for the next two weeks starting July 29.
Dr Noor Hisham said the postponement took into account the current risk assessment involving mass gatherings, which posed a high risk of Covid-19 transmission, especially at a time where dangerous variants such as the Delta variant — known as B.1.617.2 — are spreading within the community and the worsening daily cases recorded nationwide.
Related Articles In Merdeka Square gathering, Syed Saddiq chides govt for shutting down Parliament as other MPs demand Cabinet’s resignation (VIDEO) Guan Eng seeks ‘Operation Surge Capacity’ for Penang as Covid-19 cases on the rise Opposition lawmakers gather at Merdeka Square as authorities shut Parliament
