9 February 2021
Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lim Yi Wei today corrected Datuk Seri Najib Razak whom she said made factual errors about her Covid-19 infection and self-quarantine tag.
Taking to Facebook, Lim said Najib wrongly stated that her pink quarantine tag was cut off when she tested negative from the first swab test on September 28, which she took when she arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2).
Najib mentioned that Lim returned from Sabah on September 27 and had her wrist tag removed on September 30 after the first then, before she was confirmed to be infected on October 2.
“Greetings Datuk Seri Najib Razak, there is a factual error regarding my Covid-19 case in Datuk Seri’s writing. I did not take off my pink tag following the negative results of the first swab taken on September 28, 2020 at KLIA2. On the other hand, due to suspicion, the Petaling PKD (district health department) advised me to continue wearing the tag and take a second swab test on October 2.
“I entered the ward on October 5 and continued to wear the bracelet until I was discharged from the ward. Anyway, I agree with Datuk Seri’s point about the risks of reducing the minister’s quarantine period to three days. Please do advise the government that your party is a member, allright.
“Those of us who are on the field are tired of advising people to abide by the standard operating procedures (SOPs), while ministers freely cross the country,” Lim said.
Earlier in his Facebook entry, the former prime minister said the newly gazetted order letting ministers forego the mandatory 10-day Covid-19 quarantine upon returning from official trips abroad could lead to them importing new variants of the coronavirus into Malaysia.
On Facebook, the Pekan MP noted that the average incubation period before Covid-19 infections were detectable was around five to six days, beyond the three days of surveillance that ministers only need to perform under the exemption.
Najib also recalled that there have been cases of lawmakers who were released from self-quarantine only to later test positive for Covid-19.
He cited the cases of Lim, Maharani assemblyman Nor Hayati Bachok and Ayer Limau state assemblyman Datuk Amiruddin Yusof as examples.
The trio had participated in campaigning for their parties during last year’s Sabah state election and tested positive following their return to the peninsula.
Najib said it was unwise to expose the country’s health system to further risks from new Covid-19 variants when it was already at its limit.
In the gazetted order that Dr Adham issued using his authority as the health minister, Cabinet members returning from official visits abroad are exempted from Section 15 the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.
Section 15 of Act 342 pertains to observation or surveillance of contacts and that an authorised officer may order any contact to undergo observation in such place and for such period as he may think fit, or to undergo surveillance until he may be discharged without danger to the public.
The health minister is empowered under Section 29 of Act 342 to exempt any person, article, vehicle, human remains or tissues, animals and any pathogenic substances from the operation of any of the Act’s provisions or any regulations made under the Act.
Currently, Malaysian returnees must undergo a 10-day mandatory quarantine at home even if they test negative for Covid-19 upon arrival.
Source: malaymail.com
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