THE Association for Community and Dialogue urges the Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali, who violated the 14-day mandatory quarantine order after returning from abroad, to take responsibility for his actions and resign from his ministerial position as a matter of principle. 

This is what leaders of other countries do to ensure the integrity of the government of the day is not compromised.

It was reported that police have launched an investigation under Section 22 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act (Act 342) over claims that Khairuddin had breached his mandatory quarantine after returning from his trip abroad.

So far, Khairuddin has been slapped with a RM1,000 compound by the Health Ministry for the offence. He has issued an apology to Malaysians for his actions and said he will contribute four months’ salary to the National Disaster Relief Fund (Covid-19 Fund).

The fundamental issue here is not about his mitigation efforts to allay public outcry. It involves the integrity of the minister himself on his actions and his sense of understanding about what it means to be equal before law. 

It is stated in Article 8(1) of the federal constitution that every person shall be equal before the law and have equal protection of the law.

It is puzzling that Kamaruddin comes from a party than tends to take the high moral ground, but in fact, is nothing more than party that uses religion for its political ends when it fails miserably to address this issue with integrity and a sense of equality and Justice. 

For example, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man’s remarks that Khairuddin did not create any Covid-19 clusters so one should not magnify the issue, addresses the fundamental issue of integrity.

Malaysia today is in a situation whereby political elites seem to enjoy privileges in comparison to average Malaysians, even though they have been convicted of corruption or cases are ongoing in the courts. We have a former prime minister who has been actively campaigning for the Slim by-election even though he has been convicted of corruption on the misuse of an enormous sum in public funds.

One wonders what would have been be the fate of an average Malaysian if he was convicted of corruption. Would he be free to move around? We frequently hear news from a senior minister on the number of people caught violating the recovery movement control order (RMCO). Are the elites on the list?

It is time to bring some sense of integrity, equality and justice to our public domain. The resignation of Khairuddin would at least be a beginning to meet such ends. – August 25, 2020.

* Ronald Benjamin is Association for Community and Dialogue secretary.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.