PENANG’S claims that the federal government had allowed medical tourists into the state without its approval are misleading, Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said.

He said Penang had not objected the recent chartered flight from Medan, Indonesia, which it could have done by submitting a proposal to the National Security Council.

“However, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) did not receive any notice of objection from the Penang state government on the chartered flight, nor did it receive any instruction from the National Security Council to disallow chartered medical flights from entering Penang,” Wee said in a statement on Facebook.

Wee was responding to statements by Penang officials after an outcry was raised over Indonesian medical tourists being allowed entry into the state which is seeing a spike in Covid-19 cases.

Penang Island City councillor Wong Yuee Harng had said that Transport Ministry officials had unilaterally allowed the chartered flight into the country.

Penang state excos Yeoh Soon Hin and Dr Norlela Ariffin had also told meetings chaired by Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow that they were against the medical chartered flight bringing tourists seeking treatment to Penang.

Chow has urged Putrajaya to suspend medical tourism after Penang reported a virus outbreak following three months of “green state” status.

The chief minister said the state was not informed of the tourists’ arrival, which had drawn flak from the public.

If Chow and the state government had prior knowledge of the flight arrival, why hadn’t they objected to it, Wee said.

“Are they instead opposing it as an afterthought?”

Penang is governed by federal opposition party, DAP.

Wee added that the CAAM, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd and the Immigration Department had approved the arrival of the chartered flight as it had fulfilled the requirements to ensure patients on the flight were not Covid-19-positive.

Although Malaysia has closed its borders to tourists, the National Security Council allows chartered medical flights into the country on condition they comply with health and safety guidelines. – August 20, 2020.