KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — The police have reportedly resubmitted to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) the investigation paper (IP) on Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Khairuddin Aman Razali’s failure to comply with a mandatory home quarantine after returning from Turkey in July.
According to Malaysiakini, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department Deputy Director (Investigation/Legal) DCP Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said the IP was now with the AGC “for further checks”.
He was also quoted as saying that the police have yet to officially close the probe.
On September 30, Federal Criminal Investigations Department director Commissioner Datuk Huzir Mohamed revealed that the AGC had returned the IP to the police with several recommendations for possible further action.
He, however, did not disclose the nature of those recommendations.
Khairuddin had visited Turkey between July 3 and 7, but was already back in Parliament on July 13.
On August 13, Khairuddin’s predecessor, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, pointed out that the minister was already back in Parliament on July 13 despite only returning to Malaysia six days prior.
As a result, Mohd Khairuddin, who is also a PAS central committee member, was heavily criticised by many parties for failing to comply with the SOPs set by the authorities, in particular defying the quarantine instructions for returning Malaysians from abroad.
Subsequently, the Health Ministry said that it had issued a compound of RM1,000 to Mohd Khairuddin on August 7 for breaching the regulations. Mohd Khairuddin has settled the compound.
Despite being fined RM1,000 over the incident, Khairuddin insisted he did nothing wrong by failing to observe the mandatory 14-day quarantine and described the matter as a procedural error.
Under the National Security Council’s SOP, all returnees are tested on arrival and those with negative results must then serve out their 14-day quarantine while those testing positive are sent to a hospital for further treatment.
A breach of this order is punishable under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 by up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.
