KUCHING: Cabinet ministers should not be exempted from the mandatory 10-day quarantine, said Sarawak Patriots Association (SPA).
“There should not be double standards regarding Covid-19 precautionary measures,” SPA added.
“We have also seen several Cabinet ministers testing positive for Covid-19. The virus does not discriminate and anyone can be infected regardless of race, religion or status.
“No one should be exempted from the mandatory 10-day quarantine regardless of position or status in the community.”
Recently, a federal gazette under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act published that Cabinet ministers who returned from official visits abroad are only required to undergo observation for three days or surveillance.
“This is in contrast to returning Malaysians who have to undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine, which was previously 14 days.
“The importance of self-quarantine cannot be emphasised enough. We have seen that many infected patients are asymptomatic and it can take up to 14 days for the virus to incubate and only then will symptoms start to show,” said SPA.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin emphasised that there would be no practice of double standards in complying with the Covid-19 quarantine orders in October 2020.
“We urge the prime minister to issue a directive to his Cabinet ministers to comply with the mandatory 10-day quarantine as quarantine at home does not prevent daily official duties in the new normal,” said SPA.
