TWO city lawmakers have lamented the way Putrajaya’s decision on recreational activities were being implemented in the capital’s parks during the movement-control order (MCO).

DAP Members of Parliament Teresa Kok and Hannah Yeoh said the authorities appeared not to be talking to each and were inconsistent on Putrajaya’s decision on the use of public parks.

Seputeh MP Kok said Senior Minister (Security) Ismail Sabri Yaakob, had said all public parks will remain closed and activities such as jogging and cycling are limited to one’s neighbourhood in states placed under the movement-control order (MCO).

However, today, during a video presentation, Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa said the capital parks were opened to the public but those going there had to follow strict Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

“Haha! What is this? Ministers in the Cabinet do not seem to be talking to each other and making conflicting announcements now.

“DBKL and the residents in KL now want to follow whose instructions? Ismail Sabri or Annuar Musa?

“Will Annuar Musa’s instructions be U-turn again or ‘vetoed’ by Ismail Sabri later?” she wrote in a Facebook post today.

Segambut MP Yeoh lamented the inconsistency in decision making over the parks being opened to the public.

“On January 13, City Hall ordered all public parks closed, but on the same day, the KL MP asked for them to remain open,” she said in a tweet.

She said Ismail had then said he can’t entertain requests and public parks must be closed.

“Today (January 15) … Annuar Musa says public parks can open,” she wrote.

Yeoh pointed out these announcements are made by two different ministers in the same cabinet and in the same party (Umno).

“Please make SOP decisions based on science. Don’t make SOP on your whims.

“We have experienced MCO since March 2020, so why is there still no improvement?” asked Yeoh, who said that the National Security Council needs to figure out the best policy and adjust accordingly.

On Wednesday, at the start of the MCO, DBKL said all its public parks and playgrounds will be closed.

Kuala Lumpur Pakatan Harapan (PH) MPs then called on the authorities to reconsider its decision, saying it was not in line with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s speech on Monday, who said the public should be allowed some recreation as periods of isolation can affect mental health.

The public would be allowed to engage in recreational activities, such as jogging and cycling, as long as they maintained a 2m distance from others at all times.

On Monday, Muhyiddin announced the much-stricter MCO in six states from January 13 to January 26.

The six states are Penang, Selangor, the federal territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan), Malacca, Johor and Sabah. – January 15, 2021.