A couple of months ago, #KerajaanGagal was trending online for various reasons, one of which is the fact that many of our politicians and ministers were flouting the very standard operating procedures (SOPs) that they laid down for the country to follow.
Now, we have a better understanding of the number of ministers who have flouted these SOPs and the action that has been taken against them.
In a written answer by the Minister of Home Affairs, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, during the First Meeting of the Fourth Term of the Fourteenth Parliament, he shared that 56 politicians have been convicted of violating the SOPs throughout the lockdown period.
“During the period of the Movement Control Order (MCO), starting 18 March 2020 until 25 August 2021, as many as 56 politicians have been arrested in conviction of offences in connection with violations of the SOPs,”
“Of that number, a total of 22 compound fines were issued while 25 are still under investigation, eight cases have no further actions (NFA) and one case has been charged in court,” he wrote.
Some of the honourable (or in this case, dishonourable) mentions of politicians flouting the SOPs include multiple accounts by Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Annuar Musa, Datuk Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali who broke quarantine, Datuk Abdul Rashid Asari who celebrated Hari Raya with a crowd and many more.
While our fellow Malaysians are getting vaccinated to finally put an end to the lockdowns and ease the SOP restrictions, we hope that our ministers and politicians take a long hard look at their actions throughout the lockdowns and come out of it with a sense of responsibility towards the rules that they have set down for the people, including themselves.
What do you think about this? Let us know in the comment section.
Also read: Was It Necessary To Spend Over RM1 Mil To Renovate The Offices Of 4 Ministers & Their Deputies?
