SENIOR Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today refused to disclose any information on whether a deputy minister had tested positive for Covid-19.

Ismail said that no one could verify that information and that it is against one’s privacy to share such details.

He said that identities of positive Covid-19 patients were kept confidential since the time of movement-control order (MCO).

“First of all, no one knows the actual status of the deputy minister. It’s not allowed.

“Since MCO, the names of positive Covid-19 patients were not revealed as (they have) their right to privacy,” he said after a special cabinet meeting on Covid-19, which was attended by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

The defence minister said that it was against the law to share such information and said that only the Health Ministry has all the relevant information and that they (were the one who) calls up the close contacts to those tested positive.

“This (to disclose a patient’s name) is an infringement of one’s privacy under the Personal Data Protection Act.

Under this Act, it’s against the law to share one’s personal data,” he said.

Today, sources confirmed that deputy environment and water minister Dr Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad had tested positive for Covid-19 and is currently admitted at Sg Buloh Hospital.

Sources confirmed he was admitted on Thursday evening and is said to be in stable condition. – October 3, 2020.