THE government has declared a state of emergency for political purposes and not to contain the Covid-19 outbreak, said Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

The former health minister said prevailing laws are adequate for the government to enforce measures to halt the epidemic, which has spread at the rate of thousands a day since late last year,

Dzulkefly said Putrajaya is able to enlist the private hospitals and medical practitioners in the health battle without resorting to calling an emergency.

The Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act is “sufficient” to ensure the people complied with health and safety regulations to stop the disease from spreading, the Kuala Selangor MP told The Malaysian Insight.

“Instead the emergency is being used to shorten the quarantine period for ministers who travel abroad. This is counter to the science and principles of infectious disease control.”

He was referring to Health Minister Adham Baba’s announcement on Monday that cabinet members need only quarantine for three days instead of the mandatory 10 upon their return from overseas.

Ministers returning from overseas official duties are exempted from Section 15 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).

The order is valid for the duration of emergency rule, which is until August 1.

Many have panned the government over the special dispensation for ministers that lacks scientific basis.

On Putrajaya’s claim that emergency law allows the federal government to requisition private hospital facilities that are sorely needed in a health crisis, Dzulkefly said the authorities do not need an emergency proclamation to do that.

“The government said they want to co-opt the private sector to battle Covid-19. But general practitioners and private hospitals complain that they have been excluded from the contract tracing process, etc.

“As it is, private hospitals have told the government that they are prepared to take over the care of its non-Covid-19 patients. This has been discussed before,” said the head of the Selangor Task Force for Covid-19.

“The private healthcare sector is willing to help as it is part of national service.”

On January 11, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah assented to the government’s request for a state of emergency to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

The king approved the emergency powers for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration as a “proactive move to control and flatten daily Covid-19 positive cases that have breached four figures continuously since December,” the palace had said.

The emergency may be lifted before August 1 if an independent committee finds that the Covid-19 crisis has been reined in before then.

The civilian government remains in place but there will be no parliamentary or state assembly sittings during the state of emergency.

There will also be no elections, no military rule and no curfew.

The opposition has slammed the government for using the emergency as a shield for Muhyiddin to remain prime minister. – February 12, 2021.