Resign as senior minister over SOPs breach, MP Yeoh tells Hishammuddin
Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh is calling for the resignation of Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein for breaching the standard operating procedures (SOPs) at a pre-election MIC event in Johor yesterday.
This was after a video emerged showing the leaders wading through a sea of people jam-packed shoulder-to-shoulder at the launch of Johor MIC's brigade in Kota Iskandar, Johor, yesterday.
Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh is calling for the resignation of Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein for breaching the standard operating procedures (SOPs) at a pre-election MIC event in Johor yesterday.
This was after a video emerged showing the leaders wading through a sea of people jam-packed shoulder-to-shoulder at the launch of Johor MIC's brigade in Kota Iskandar, Johor, yesterday.
Among the leaders reportedly present at the event were Hishammuddin, incumbent Johor Menteri Besar Hasni Mohammad and MIC president S Vigneswaran.
Yeoh noted that Hishammuddin, in his position as Covid-19 Quartet Minister’s Meeting chairperson, had previously announced various national Covid-19 SOPs - including for the umrah pilgrimage and MyTravelPass - as well as saying that the Johor state polls should be conducted safely.
“As such, it is unforgivable for him to be caught on video breaching the Covid SOPs at an MIC Johor event in preparation for the Johor state polls (photo below).
“Even though the health minister had announced that compounds would be issued to Hishammuddin and other senior BN politicians, Hishammuddin had also admitted the SOP breach in his tweet to me,” Yeoh said.
Further, Yeoh felt that a fine - which Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had instructed his ministry to issue against the offending leaders who attended the same event - is insufficient as a punishment for a Covid-19 breach by a senior figure in government.
“A fine is simply not enough, especially for a senior minister who sits on the front bench of the Executive and has been caught vaping in Parliament when the health minister had declared war on smoking in the august House.
“In other countries, such admission of breach of the SOP would result in resignation.
“It is my opinion that Hishammuddin should not be put in charge of managing and announcing Covid SOPs at the national level anymore. How can Malaysians trust him to be deciding on SOPs for us?” said Yeoh, adding that it was a ‘grave leadership failure’.
“This is a grave leadership failure and Hishammuddin must resign or be removed as a senior minister, failing which the people of Johor must punish this BN/Perikatan Nasional administration for its habitual recklessness,” said Yeoh.
Following the video, Khairy instructed his ministry to issue compounds against his cabinet colleague Hishammuddin and several top government leaders for allegedly violating the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP).
Hishammuddin said he was only a guest but agreed that there was no justifying of a wrong and that he would accept the action taken.
Last month, the Health Ministry also fined the organiser of a government event attended by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob after it failed to ensure SOP compliance.
The compound for individuals breaking Covid SPOs has been fixed at RM1,000.
The Health Ministry has pushed to increase the compound to RM10,000 in the last Parliament sitting but the matter was postponed after objections from both sides of the political divide.
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