Covid-19 Watch: Hulu Langat MP under investigation for breaking quarantine, says Khairy
PETALING JAYA: Hulu Langat MP Datuk Hasanuddin Mohd Yunus (pic) is being investigated by the Health Ministry for breaking quarantine protocol after he was seen out and about in his flood-hit constituency days after returning from an overseas trip.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin however said that if it were true that Hasanuddin had flouted his seven-days home surveillance order (HSO), then the Ministry could only fine him RM1,000.
Hasanuddin returned to Malaysia on Wednesday (Dec 22) and was given a seven-day HSO by the Health Ministry, but was seen visiting his constituents on Friday (Dec 24).
“We are trying to find out what happened in his case. He applied for quarantine exemption for a trip between December 8 and December 12. That exemption was approved because of the test and release protocol that we have for official travel,” said Khairy.
“He had gone for an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Istanbul, Turkey with three other elected reps,” added Khairy in a press conference on Saturday (Dec 25).
Khairy said Hasanuddin had arrived in Malaysia on Dec 22 and thus, the initial exemption was overridden but on Dec 20, Hasanuddin was given a seven-day HSO approval by the Health Ministry.
“On December 20, the Health Ministry’s Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) sent an email to Hasanuddin – who arrived in Malaysia on December 22 – to inform him that his home quarantine application was approved,” said Khairy.
“We are now investigating the case and finding out if he went onwards from Turkey to Iran, Pakistan and wherever else and also why he broke his quarantine upon receiving the HSO on December 20, ” he added.
Earlier this week, Hasanuddin was criticised by Malaysians after he shared a picture of his mountain trip in Iran on his Facebook account while floods ravaged his constituency.
Hasanuddin has since taken down the picture of him on the mountain and replaced it with pictures of him meeting dignitaries in Iran.
He explained that his working trip was planned earlier and he had been trying to get on a flight to come home after many parts of his constituency were flooded.