Tiong’s attack on Noor Hisham in Parliament is not so simple and straightforward as it was most cowardly and malicious, hiding behind a gross abuse of parliamentary privilege

The MP for Bintulu, Tiong King Sing’s attack on the Health Director-General Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah in Parliament yesterday was not so simple and straightforward as it was a most cowardly and malicious, hiding behind a gross abuse of parliamentary privilege.

If it was not a malicious attack, why did’nt Tiong criticise the Heath Minister, Dr. Adham Baba who must bear full responsibility in Parliament for whatever happened in the Health Ministry?

Tiong had been a five-term Member of Parliament for 21 years since 1999. Is Tiong seriously suggesting that he is not aware that on all health matters, it is the Health Minister and not the Health Director-General who is answerable to Parliament?

This parliamentary rule is not relaxed just because we have an invisible Health Minister who lost all authority and credibility after a series of bloopers about “ayer suam” as cure for Covid-19, “500 nations” in the world and “15 states in Malaysia” in his first two months as Health Minister.

Was the Health Minister jealous that the Health Director-General was taking all the limelight in the daily fight against Covid-19 epidemic, and Tiong was only articulating Adham Baba’s feelings?

The very fact that the Health Minister has not come to his director-general’s defence against Tiong’s attack is noteworthy.

Or if the purpose is to demand responsibility from the ultimate authority for the mess in the handling the Covid-19 pandemic, why didn’t Tiong go all the way to the Chairman of the National Security Council, who is none other than the Prime Minister, who appointed Tiong to the post of Special Envoy to China?

Tiong was most cowardly in not directing his attacks against the Health Minister or the Prime Minister as chairman of the National Security Council. He was also being most malicious in not tendering an apology in concentrating his fire on the Health Director-General, hiding behind a gross abuse of parliamentary privilege.

I hope Tiong will be man enough to apologise for a gross breach of parliamentary privilege when attacking Dr. Noor Hisham when Parliament resumes on Monday.