CALLS grew on Twitter for Health Minister Dr Adham Baba to step down as Malaysians expressed anger over the relaxation of quarantine rules for ministers returning from abroad.

The gazette was released last night announcing cabinet members need only be quarantined for three days instead of the mandatory 10 upon their return from overseas.

The hashtag #AdhamBabaLetakJawatan was top trending at 9am today.

Some comments questioned the double standards allowing the political elite to cut short their quarantine while ordinary people had to obey the rules.

“Clearly someone hasn’t learn anything from what had happened. Like what I’ve said alllllll the time before this; one country, two standards,” said @Nuyenggg.

“This is how the current government is using the Emergency loophole to declare/amend the rules & law for favouring them,” said @yong95shun.

@fyzuladzwan compared the situation to a P. Ramlee film.

“Antara Dua Darjat. A classic P. Ramlee film returns to Putrajaya. Hero: The people. Villain: Muhyiddin’s cabinet,” he tweeted.

@noodlesofea asked whether the health minister intended to create another cabinet cluster.

“We can barely manage the current #klustermenteri (current wave) and yet he wants to add #klustermenteri2 ??!! #AdhamBabaLetakJawatan,”

“Please Resign if you can’t handle your tasks and responsibilities based from your swearing oath as the minister of Health. Enough is Enough!!!!!,” said Lau Puo Herng.

 “What’s worse than the on-going pandemic and the health crisis is a paper general helming an important ministry,” said @BenjeezTYNZ.

@sulinwee said the ministers are potential super spreaders given the number of people they come into contact with.

 “He really appears to be completely clueless. Ministers are potentially the worst Super Spreaders since they are in contact with so many people,” @sulinwee said.

Starting today ministers returning from overseas official duties will be  exempted from Section 15 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).

“The cabinet of ministers who returns from any overseas official visit shall undergo observation for three days or undergo surveillance until be discharged without danger to the public,” the exemption read. 

Previously, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali came under fire for skipping quarantine on his return from Covid-19-hit Turkey.

In August, the Health Ministry slapped Khairuddin with a RM1,000 fine on for breaching quarantine rules.

Khairuddin had apologised and said he would donate four months’ salary to charity.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was also criticised for not taking action against Khairuddin despite telling Malaysians the government will not practise double standards in enforcing the rules to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. – February 9, 2021.