Tiong refuses to take back remarks disparaging health D-G

Chan Kok Leong Diyana Ibrahim Chan Kok Leong, Diyana Ibrahim Updated 3 years ago · Published on 11 Nov 2020 3:30PM · 2 Comments

Bintulu MP Tiong King Sing will not retract his remarks about the director-general of health’s courage, or lack thereof, because they ‘come from the frontliners’. – Facebook pic, November 11, 2020.

BINTULU MP Tiong King Sing has refused to retract insulting remarks suggesting the director-general of health was a coward for not going to Sabah to assess the Covid-19 situation.

“No retraction. This is from the frontliners,” said Tiong in response to Deputy Speaker Azalina Othman Said’s query if he wished to  apologise, retract or clarify his remarks about Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in the Dewan Rakyat.

Tiong had early dismissed the health official’s work in relation to the coronavirus epidemic.

“Every day he announces clusters. If it’s just an announcement even the office boy can do this. Why does he not go to the ground? Like the Kota Kinabalu Hospital now it is in bad shape,” he said while debating the budget.

“He should go see and talk with the frontliners. Doctors, nurses are all working. They don’t seem afraid to die but the director general is scared of dying. The DG and his deputy don’t want to go.

“I hear he wants to be the WHO secretary-general. He’s not qualified, in my opinion,” Tiong said, referring to the World Health Organisation.

After refusing to withdraw those remarks, Tiong proceeded to question the Health Ministry’s (MOH) response to the Covid-19 crisis.

“The SOPs are unclear and MOH has to explain the SOPs to the enforcers who are now interpreting them for themselves,” said Tiong.

“Take the two persons per car ruling. The police say two people cannot sit together in front but in the airplanes, we sit side by side. People are angry about these inconsistencies and they are suffering but yet the police fine them.

“it is the same with the petrol station incident,” said Tiong, referring to a viral voice recording of a man alleging his father, while refuelling at a petrol station, was fined RM1,000 by police for failing to log his location on MySejahtera.

Tiong said the MOH and National Security Council needed to do a better job coordinating on the SOPs and not constantly amend them.

Yesterday, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri had to correct the police after they fined a man at a petrol station in Ipoh for not checking in with the MySejahtera app.

The defence minister was asked to clarify the rules after Bukit Aman CID deputy director Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said the app check-in was mandatory at the fuel pumps. – November 11, 2020.

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Comments

  • I do not support this MP, Tiong but his comments are reasonable especially about frontliners in Sabah needing morale boost. I leave it to the DG good judgement

    Posted 3 years ago by Super Duper · Reply

  • Taking cue from Tiong perhaps Dr Hisham should resign since his contribution is not well accepted by certain people. To me the show face rounds at the hospital can be easily handle and manage by the respective state health director. It is unwarranted and personal attack by Tiong to single out an office boy can handle media brief, that the DG is afraid to die and to say the DG is eying for the top job at WHO is utterly sick. What the ministry of health requires is more budget allocation as compared to a mere 4.83% increase from previous budget allocation. Where is your voice on this? Those frontliners and hospital needs badly replacement of equipment. How much have been spend out sourcing to private hospital for X-Ray and incubators? Each round made by Putrajaya people the ground staff need to stop their work to prepared welcoming route which distract them from giving their attentions to the patients? Tiong you actually capitalize the situation for your own gain a true blood politician.

    Posted 3 years ago by Teruna Kelana · Reply