Kuala Lumpur: Several Opposition Members of Parliament raised safety concerns that Keningau MP Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan
(pic) allegedly broke Covid-19 quarantine orders to attend Tuesday’s Dewan Rakyat sitting.
The matter was first raised during Question Time (MQT) by PKR’s Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil who asked Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Seri Azalina Othman to deliberate whether Kitingan should remove himself from the proceedings as he had recently returned from Sabah.
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“Point of order, Yang di-Pertua, I was made to understand that there are some among us that recently returned from Sabah but I am not sure whether YB from Keningau should be in quarantine or not. I request Yang di-Pertua [to deliberate] on the matter,” he said.
Following Fahmi’s question, Warisan’s Seppanggar MP Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman said Jeffrey was present at the Sabah State Assembly on Nov 12 and should not be in Parliament as he has not met the 14-day mandatory quarantine order.
“If calculated according to the number of days, he should not be in the Dewan today because the basis of being quarantined is to protect members of Parliament from being infected with Covid-19,” said.
Azalina then responded briefly, stating that she will get an immediate answer from the Dewan Rakyat Secretary on the matter and will subsequently inform Parliament but insisted that the proceedings continue in the meantime.
This then drew a response from DAP’s Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong who asked Azalina to order Kitingan to exit the Dewan Rakyat while they waited for the answer.
Azalina replied that she needed time to confirm Jeffrey’s quarantine status.
“I need to get confirmation first. If Yang Berhormat (MP Keningau) entered the Dewan through the front door, then the matter is up to the Parliament authorities.
“Yang Berhormat is in the Dewan now. I cannot order him to leave unless I receive confirmation from the Dewan Rakyat secretary, so I would like some time. Can you all be fair to me as well?” she said.
Azalina then received a written response from the Dewan Rakyat secretary, stating that Jeffrey had been cleared to attend today’s sitting.
“YB has been allowed to attend by the Parliament clinic’s doctor. He has already received a release order following the end of his quarantine order from the Ministry of Health (MOH),” she said.
However, this drew heckles from the Opposition MPs, including Teo, who stated that a “double standard” was being applied to Jeffrey.
Azalina denied this and ordered proceedings to continue as scheduled, with Education Minister Radzi Jidin to continue with his MQT.
Following the conclusion of Radzi’s MQT session, Azis brought up Kitingan’s alleged quarantine breach with Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun, insisting that a “double standard” had been applied.
Azhar however responded that the Keningau MP had received a quarantine order from the MOH on November 12 and subsequently received a release order on November 23.
Azhar then explained that he had asked Kitingan not to attend today’s proceedings as a precautionary measure.
