THE government should resign if it continues to disrespect the rule of law and practices double standards in the implementation of the Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP), said Lim Lip Eng.

He said many parties, including the opposition and experts, have stressed that there should be no double standards in the way the SOP applied to ministers and the rakyat. 

The Kepong MP added that Putrajaya must take the views of the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia (AMM) seriously on the government’s decision on the three-day quarantine ruling for ministers.

“If the cabinet cannot respect the rule of law and equality of all men before the law, they should resign en bloc,” he said in a statement today.

Earlier, the AAM had called on the government to revoke the three-day quarantine order for ministers until there was scientific evidence that suggested the short period was enough time to detect Covid-19 symptoms.

The academy said three days were insufficient to detect symptoms and there must be an evidence-based, public health explanation for the government’s decision to reduce quarantine days.

Lim said the Perikatan Nasional cabinet should be ashamed of its adamant stand to uphold their own policy.

He added that the coronavirus does not know how to differentiate between “super VVIPs” and the ordinary man on the street.

“The people feel vindicated that our concerns are genuine. Who should the rakyat now believe? The health minister, Adham Baba, and Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s cabinet or AAM?”

Lim said PN can brand the AMM as anti-government, or perhaps, banning the organisation but if such a statement can be issued by top medical officers, the rakyat would rather believe the medical professionals.

“After all, when one falls ill, who do they go to? When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country, who were the frontliners? Was it Muhyiddin, Adham or (defence minister) Ismail Sabri Yaakob?”

On Monday, Adham announced that cabinet members would only need to be quarantined for three days instead of the mandatory 10 upon their return from overseas.

The ministers returning from overseas official duties will be exempted from Section 15 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act.

Yesterday, Adham said the three-day quarantine period for those returning from overseas may be extended to business travellers and the public.

He said that the main aim of cutting short the quarantine period was to revive the economy. – February 11, 2021.