“I didn’t use any privileges!” Pahang Rep Gets Called Out For Violating SOPs To Celebrate Birthday

Another day, another politician believing the law is above them?

Ketari MP, Young Syefura Othman has gotten on the wrong side of the Internet after she posted pictures of her 31st birthday celebration in Pahang during the Conditional Movement Control Order.

The post, which has since been removed, garnered a lot of hate and the MP was trending all over Twitter as many questioned her double standards and even compared her to Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali who is still yet to face any repercussions for flouting lockdown SOPs.

In the photos, you can see that besides leaving Selangor during CMCO, she’s also not practising social distancing and wearing masks. One netizen said that she should do better as her actions represent her position as an ADUN.

One netizen called out privilege for being able to travel from Ketari to Setia Alam without any repercussions and asked if her birthday trip is part of “politicians work”. The MP excused this by saying that due to her work, she MUST travel from Selangor to Pahang.

“I live in Selangor. I have to go almost every day to Pahang. So, yeah, that’s why you can see me at Pahang sometimes and at Selangor sometimes. Thanks.”

Some even called the MP selfish as Pahang is still a green zone and from Selangor, which consists of mostly yellow and red zones, might lead to a super spreader without anyone even realizing. Finally, at 9pm yesterday (9 November), the MP issued an apology but said she did not use her privilege as an MP to move in and out of Selangor which is where she lives.

Saya memohon maaf jika tindakan saya melanggar sebarang SOP Covid-19. Saya x menggunakan sebarang kelebihan sbg seorg wakil rakyat utk bergerak di dlm Selangor, negeri saya bermastautin. Saya rela disiasat oleh pihak berkuasa jika tindakan sy melanggar sebarang SOP Covid-19. Tq.

— YS (@youngsyefura) November 9, 2020

“I apologise if my actions violated any Covid-19 SOPs. I did not use any privileges as an MP to move inside Selangor, the state I live in. I’m willing to be investigated by the authorities if my actions violated any SOP. Thank you.”

Activist and artist. Fahmi Reza made a simple post to show how merely months ago, Young Syefura tweeted “Let’s not waste the sacrifices many made by continuing to practice social distancing, wearing face masks and taking care of your hygiene.”

pic.twitter.com/ZfMmpTKGIO

— Fahmi Reza (@kuasasiswa) November 9, 2020

Whether or not this MP will face any repercussions over her actions, we shall never know. All we can be sure of, while we’ve always been following SOPs strictly, somehow when there’s a rise in the number of cases, why is it that the people are the first to be blamed?

Also read: The Rakyat Have Chosen: Azmin Ali Loses To Door Knob By 17,000 Votes On Twitter Poll