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KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 — Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has questioned the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government’s Covid-19 regulations after finding out a minister had allegedly held a gathering with 500 residents in Hulu Langat.
He added that large gatherings are unnecessary amid the pandemic, and said that the minister could have been just contributed to donations remotely.
“[On Sunday] a minister reportedly met 500 residents in Hulu Langat. In my estimation, 500 people gatherings are very large,” he wrote on his Facebook page yesterday, saying that said minister had also approved an allocation of RM30,000 for the voters there,
“Only the public have to go online, schools have to go online, work has to go online, but the contribution of funds by the minister cannot go online? So far the government has banned activities in public gatherings, but a minister can do so?” he asked.
He said that since the government has not allowed any large gatherings, were ministers exempted from the regulations instead
“This has been questioned among the people. I monitor comments on Facebook many say this is ‘double standard’,” he added.
Zahid did not specify which minister he was referring to, but Senior Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali had on Twitter on Sunday said he visited 500 people from the ethnic Chinese community in the Sungai Tua state seat to give out donations.
Azmin also said on Twitter he had approved an allocation of RM30,000 for traditional medicine practitioners in the area.
Saya menziarahi peduduk berbangsa Cina di DUN Sungai Tua dan mengagihkan bantuan kepada 500 keluarga yang memerlukan. Semoga bantuan ini dapat menceriakan penerima. pic.twitter.com/VreBHcRRtM
— Mohamed Azmin Ali • 🇲🇾 (@AzminAli) February 7, 2021
Last month, Putrajaya had allowed federal and state lawmakers to cross state and districts for their work, even as most of the country is still placed under the movement control order (MCO) that restricts such travel.
A paragraph in the updated MCO standard operating procedures (SOPs) released stated that: “State assemblymen and MPs are allowed to cross districts and their respective states during the movement control order period on official matters or to visit constituencies”.