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PETALING JAYA: Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing apologized for the “fear of death” comment he made against Health Director General Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah in Dewan Rakyat.
He said he offered the apology for the sake of a “smooth running” Dewan Rakyat and for the harmony of the country.
His apology was a game changer, as he stood firm in his criticism of the CEO on Friday when he said he had no malicious intent and simply wanted to hold Dr. Noor Hisham accountable.
In a statement yesterday, Tiong said he regretted going over his limit during last Wednesday’s debate on the 2021 budget.
“It never crossed my mind to deny all the noble actions of doctors, nurses and avant-garde, including the general director of Health,” he said.
He explained that his intention during the 2021 budget debate was to raise public concerns about Covid-19 and that he wanted efforts to contain the virus to be carried out effectively.
According to Hansard, Tiong questioned why Dr. Noor Hisham had not gone to the ground (or “turun padang”), citing the Covid-19 situation in Sabah.
“Doctors and nurses are being sent there. Oh, they are not afraid of dying, but DG takut mati (afraid of dying). Even the Deputy Director General was not. What happened? “He said.
Tiong’s comments sparked many public reactions against him.
Dr. Noor Hisham, in a press conference later on Wednesday, addressed the matter by explaining that he had gone to Sabah in late August to verify the administration of Covid-19 there.
He also said that the Deputy Director General for Health, Datuk Dr. Chong Chee Keong, was recently in Sabah to check on the situation there.
“The issue that we are afraid of dying does not arise. As a Muslim, I accept that death can happen anywhere, not just if I go down or not.
“The important thing is that we do our duty. We may have our differences, but the important thing is to break the chain of contagion so that we can save the country from an increase in cases and the mortality rate, “he said.
On Saturday, Dr. Noor Hisham tweeted that Dr. Chong was still in quarantine for 14 days after returning from Sabah, where he had inspected health services in the state.
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