Muhyiddin should disclose how many Ministers, Deputy Ministers and top officials had been given permission to leave the country during the MCO, CMCO and RMCO and whether the Health Ministry has devised a special Covid 19 test to enable them to skip the SOP

We seem to have a new reason for a Cabinet Minister not undergoing the stipulated 14-day quarantine after returning from a five-day trip to Turkey in early July - that the Minister had undergone a “special test” when he returned from the trip and the results were negative.

What is this special test? “The special test was to enable the country’s leaders who go in and out of the country, including on personal matters, to undergo the test swiftly.” – Star 21.8.2020.

This is news to Malaysians.

The Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should disclose whether there is a “special test” for Ministers, Deputy Ministers and high officials and how many Ministers, Deputy Ministers and top officials had been given permission to leave the country during the Movement Control Order (MCO) from March 18 to May 3, the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) from May 4 to June 9 and the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO from June 10 to August 31, the duration and reasons for their overseas trips and giving separate information with regard to Ministers, Deputy Ministers and high officials who were given permission to go overseas and to return on “personal matters” without having to comply with the SOP.

Two other reasons which have earlier been given to justify the Cabinet Minister breaching the SOP were: (i) that the Minister’s trip was approved by Prime Minister and (ii) that Turkey was categorised as a “green country (zone)”.

As the Prime Minister had been specifically named, he should not maintain his silence on the issue but must speak up to clear the air.

I am particularly intrigued by the claim of the Minister concerned that Turkey was categorised as a “green country (zone)” for the Covid-19 outbreak.

Turkey is now the world’s top 18th country with cumulative total of 254,520 Covid-19 cases and 6,058 deaths – as compared to China’s cumulative total of 84,895 cases and 4,634 deaths.

As Turkey has three times the cumulative total of Covid-19 cases as compared to China, and has more Covid-19 deaths than China, is the Malaysian Cabinet or the Health Ministry holding that Turkey is “greener” than China as far as Covid-19 outbreak is concerned?

Or is the claim that Turkey is a “green country (zone)” just a fantasy of the Cabinet Minister concerned?