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Three S’wakians appointed to 19-member Special Independent Committee on Emergency 2021

KUCHING (Feb 10): Three Sarawakians have been appointed to the 19-member Special Independent Committee on Emergency 2021.

They included a noted senior official namely former Ministry of Health director-general Prof Tan Sri Dr Mohamad Taha Arif and a noted public health professional, former Sarawak Health Department director Prof Datu Dr Andrew Kiyu Dawie Usop.

Dr Taha, who retired from the post of director-general of Health in 2005, is currently the professor of public health medicine at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).

Dr Kiyu, who retired as Sarawak Health director in 2006, is also a professor of public health medicine at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences in Unimas and a consultant epidemiologist to the Sarawak Health Department.

The other Sarawakian appointed to the committee is Batang Lupar MP Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim. An active politician for more than 30 years, Rohani was a former federal minister and was recently appointed as special advisor to the Chief Minister.

Their appointments were announced by the Prime Minister’s Department yesterday.

In a statement, it explained the independent special committee was set up under Section 2 of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 and will advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the ongoing Emergency and when it should end.

“The National Security Council and the Prime Minister’s Department will be secretariats for this committee,” said the statement.

The independent special committee will be led by former chief justice Tun Arifin Zakaria, as president of the committee.

Other former senior officials appointed to the committee are Tan Sri Samsudin Osman (former chief secretary to the government), Tan Sri Norian Mai (former inspector-general of police), Tan Sri Zulkifli Zainal Abidin (former Army chief)

Professionals appointed to the committee also include Tan Sri Dr Yahya Awang (heart surgeon), Tan Sri Ter Leong Yap (president of The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia), Tan Sri Dr R. Palan (Pro Chancellor of the University of Cyberjaya), Datuk Salehuddin Saidin (former deputy public prosecutor), Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin (Perlis mufti) and Tan Sri Sukarti Wakiman (former Sabah state secretary).

Apart from Rohani, the other politicians appointed to the committee are Tan Sri Noh Omar (Tanjung Karang MP), Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun (Beaufort MP), Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh (Pasir Puteh MP), Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (Kulim-Bandar Baru MP), Anthony Loke Siew Fook (Seremban MP) and Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (Kuala Selangor MP).

Saifuddin, Loke and Dr Dzulkefly were also formerly ministers in the previous Pakatan Harapan government, holding the posts of domestic trade and consumer affairs minister, transport minister and health minister respectively.

On January 12, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong consented to the proclamation of a nationwide state of Emergency which is slated to end on August 1, a step taken to contain the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.






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