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KOTA KINABALU: I was cleared by health officials to attend Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 24), says Datuk Seri, Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, amid opposition claims that he did not complete his 14-day quarantine for Covid -19.
“I went to the infirmary and they gave me the quarantine release order. They cut off my quarantine wristband.
“It is not true that I did not observe the quarantine. They (the opposition) just kacau (annoy me), ”Sabah’s chief deputy minister said when contacted.
Kitingan, the Keningau MP and president of Sabah STAR, also provided, via WhatsApp, a copy of the Ministry of Health’s quarantine release order that was issued on November 23, two days before the end of the quarantine of 14 days.
He was under mandatory Covid-19 home quarantine from November 12 to 25, but the order to release him was issued after health officials declared his health to be satisfactory.
In a Facebook post, DAP’s Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin had questioned whether Jeffrey was in breach of the 14-day quarantine order for all Sabahans arriving in Kuala Lumpur.
“With less than 14 days of quarantine, he can attend Parliament. Shouldn’t you also follow standard operating procedures? Chan asked, adding that it was unfair to other Sabah MPs.
“Sabah MPs have sacrificed a lot to comply with the 14-day quarantine upon arrival in Kuala Lumpur. Not to return to the constituency in the entire session of parliament, ”he said.
Opposition lawmakers had also raised the issue in Parliament on Tuesday.
In the Dewan Rakyat, Vice President Datuk Seri Azalina Mohd Said, who was presiding at the time, said that he could not issue a ruling immediately and that he had to consult Dewan Rakyat’s secretary for an explanation.
A few minutes later, he received an official reply and said that Kitingan was allowed to attend parliamentary proceedings after receiving a relief order from the Health Ministry.
Azalina said she had obtained the official explanation from Parliament and those who were not happy with the decision could raise it with President Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun.
Azhar later said that he was made to understand that Kitingan had started his quarantine on November 12 and received his release order from the Health Ministry on Monday (November 23).
Later, several MPs interrupted and said that the number of days of quarantine was less than required.
To this, Azhar then said that he needed time to consult with the health authorities, as the ruling was made based on the information provided to him.
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