Jeffrey
KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan feels that health matters should be managed by the State.
However, for this to happen, he said that the state government cannot simply create a (health) ministry that is powerless to deal with issues such as the present Covid-19 pandemic.
“We must create the enactment to support it so that we have the necessary power and the second part it, we must have the money to run it,” he said to the media when asked whether he support the opposition’s special motion for the State Legislative Assembly to strengthen the Sabah government’s jurisdiction on health matters.
Kadamaian assemblyman Ewon Benedick and Luyang assemblyman Phoong Jin Zhe submitted the special motion under Standing Order 31(2) recently so that a new enactment related to disease control in Sabah should be passed and gazetted by the State Legislative Assembly and pave way for a better jurisdiction to the state government to manage the Covid-19 pandemic as well as other health related matters.
“I understand this need for us to have our own enactment to give us power to address the pandemic or any diseases in Sabah.
“In my personal opinion, it (the power) should be under the State,” he said.
He explained that public health matters falls under the jurisdiction of the Local Government and Housing Ministry which was why Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun was the spokesperson for Covid-19 in Sabah.
However, he said that Sabah needs a body to manage the overall health issue pertaining to the State but stated that it could be done in the future when Sabah has the revenue and the legislation.