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KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition lawmakers have questioned why a Sabah MP was allowed to be present in the House following news that the lawmaker may have recently returned to the state.
Fahmi Fadzil (PH-Lembah Pantai) said they made her understand that some MPs had just returned from Sabah and asked if Keningau Datuk lawmaker Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan had observed the 14-day self-quarantine process.
“I’m not sure if YB Keningau should be in the House; Self-quarantine? Fahmi asked.
Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman (PH-Sepanggar) said Sabah MPs were asked to be quarantined for 15 days on the advice of the Health Ministry and the National Security Council in order to attend Parliament sessions.
“I have not seen my wife and children for almost two months because I have not returned to Sabah as I have been observing standard operating procedure (SOP).
“I don’t want to go back to Sabah because I don’t want to be quarantined again.
“We know that YB Keningau had attended the Sabah state assembly on November 12, so if you count the days, he should not be allowed to enter the House today.
“The quarantine process is to help protect other MPs present from possible Covid-19 infection, so we would like an explanation on that,” Azis said.
Dewan Rakyat’s vice chairman, Datuk Seri Azalina Mohd Said, said he cannot issue a ruling immediately and had to consult Dewan Rakyat’s secretary for an explanation.
Then some lawmakers stood up and urged her to order Kitingan to wait outside the House while she sought an explanation from the Parliament administration.
“I cannot order YB Keningau to leave the Chamber until I get an explanation from Dewan Rakyat’s secretary, so please give me a little time and be fair to me as well,” Azalina said.
Teo Nie Ching (PH-Kulai) then chimed in and asked Kitingan to stand up and explain to the House if he had actually observed the self-quarantine period.
To this, Azalina said that while she understood the concerns, she still needed to get confirmation from Parliament.
Teo said that if Kitingan just got up and provided his explanation, he would check into the Hansard.
“And we will be satisfied with that, that’s all we want,” Teo said.
Azalina insisted that she still needed an official response from Parliament on the matter before making a decision.
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.
“YB Keningau is allowed to be present since the Parliament clinic had allowed him to be here, he also obtained the relief order after completing the quarantine from the Ministry of Health,” Azalina said.
However, Azis chimed in and said that all Sabah MPs have been following the quarantine order and have not returned home.
“My aunt died in Semporna and I was not allowed to go home. I have undergone the Covid-19 test and am free of the virus, but still, that is not the reason for the Sabah deputies to go home.
“We have sacrificed a lot by not going back to our constituencies, but what we see here today is that YB Keningau can be there.
“This is a question about our security as parliamentarians,” he said.
To this, Azalina said that he had obtained the official explanation from Parliament and those dissatisfied with the decision can raise it with President Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun.
Azhar later said that he had asked Kitingan to temporarily leave the Dewan Rakyat until an explanation for his quarantine status was determined.
Azhar said he was made to understand that Kitingan had begun his quarantine on November 12 and received his release order from the Health Ministry on Monday (November 23).
“YB Keningau had her pink bracelet cut off by Lembah Pantai’s health office after undergoing quarantine and testing negative for Covid-19 on Sunday (Nov 22),” Azhar said.
Later, several MPs interrupted and said that the number of days of quarantine was less than required.
“We received information that YB Keningau was seen in Kota Kinabalu on November 13, so our question is that even if the quarantine started from November 12, it has only been 12 days, so why the double standard “Mohd Azis said.
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.
“Let me contact the Lembah Pantai health authorities and find out, so please give me a little time,” Azhar said.
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