NEWS
After Much Public Outcry, Police Opens Investigation On Minister Who Flouted Quarantine
.jpg?ext=.jpg "After Much Public Outcry, Police Opens Investigation On Minister Who Flouted Quarantine")
The past few weeks hasn't been good for the police and government's image.
Public outrage over several issues has dominated social media such, as the fining of normal citizens for not following COVID-19 SOPS but not politicians; a deputy minister giving "letter of support" to help his son to become board member of Pharmaniaga; and Plantation Industries and Commodities minister Datuk Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali's not undergoing home quarantine after returning from Turkey.
Some of the issues may have fallen on deaf ears but the police have finally opened an investigation paper on Khairuddin.
Police have received reports from the public
Bernama reported that the police have opened an investigation paper on Khairuddin.The report stated that Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador confirmed the matter.
According to Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department deputy director (Investigation/Legal) DCP Mior Faridalathrash Wahid, the police have received 27 reports so far regarding the issue.
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“Police are investigating Mohd Khairuddin in accordance with the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342),” he reportedly said.
ICYMI
In case you missed the whole drama, last week Seputeh MP Teresa Kok revealed that not only did Khairuddin travel to Turkey with his family during the Recovery Movement Control Order (MCO) period in July, but he also didn't go through the mandatory 14-day quarantine period.It is believed that he started attending events only three days after his return.
He even shared pictures from those events and others even after the controversy.
We wrote about his complete disregard for RMCO SOP, where he had shared pictures, on his Facebook page, of himself at "meet and greet" sessions as well as other events without a face mask on, but the embedding feature on his page have since been removed so we took a screenshot/downloaded the pictures from his Facebook page.
You know... in case you thought he meant the apology he posted just hours after the last pictures were shared.
.jpg "Minister's FB")
In his defense, Khairuddin had said that he underwent nasopharyngeal swab test upon his return, which came out negative. He had also said that two other tests done after also showed he was negative for COVID-19.
It took a few days for the Health Ministry to "investigate" the claims, but over the weekend, it said that Khairuddin was issued a RM1,000 compound for breaching MCO SOP, which he had paid.
He has also promised to give four months of his salary to COVID-19 fund.
Netizens are not having it
If anyone thought that the RM1,000 compound and Khairuddin giving up his salary would appease the public, they were wrong.Many have questioned why the minister got away with only a compound, when many ordinary Malaysians were fined much higher amount and even jailed.
Makcik gelang pink's fine: RM8,000That is equivalent to 7.3 months of Malaysia's minimum wage (RM1,200).Khairuddin's fine: RM1,000That is equivalent to 10.1 hours of his monthly salary (RM71,505.26).— Lee Seng Foo??李成富 (@sengfoo88) August 22, 2020
Apparently Khairuddin didn’t need to quarantine because he tested negative & Turkey is a Green Zone country. Since when? They have about 6k deaths with 250k cases. Negative or not quarantine is mandatory at home that time https://t.co/AvWsIwsIow— ????? ??????? (@ayshardzn) August 19, 2020
Only??!! For going to 12 meetings? : Under-fire Khairuddin compounded RM1,000 by health ministry | Free Malaysia Today https://t.co/jEK2PNMb0C— Marina Mahathir (@netraKL) August 22, 2020
Mak Cik Gelang Pink = denda RM8k + 1 hari penjaraSivagangga = denda RM12k + 5 bulan penjaraMenteri Khairuddin = denda RM1kSemua lakukan kesalahan yg sama: langgar perintah kuarantin.Maaf, tapi di manakah "Kedaulatan Undang-Undang" yg termaktub dalam Rukun Negara? pic.twitter.com/YDb5AhkYdI— Lim Wei Jiet ?? (@limweijiet) August 22, 2020
Law must be made equal. Khairuddin really doesn’t learn from the recent Sivagangga's cluster. The Nasi Kandar guy was tested negative of Covid-19 before he decides not to undergone the home quarantine fully. Khairuddin deserves to be in jail. https://t.co/CR1LPEzCS7— yan (@izyankaher) August 19, 2020
What do you guys think? Is the RM1,000 compound and apology sufficient or nah?Here's the benchmark for Khairuddin Takiri. https://t.co/lu4s0HOu2z— Afiq H. ??? (@A_Hxrrxz) August 19, 2020
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