Umno’s Najib says Covid-negative after testing for the 15th time

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak confirmed that his latest test results today showed that he had tested negative for Covid-19 yet again.

Najib, who is also Umno’s Pekan MP and the party’s former president, today said he believed he had taken the Covid-19 test 15 times now.

“Negative. Think this is the 15th time I did Covid screening.

“Each time appearing at the Dewan Rakyat, underwent test. Crossed state borders, nose is poked again. When there is close contact confirmed to be Covid positive, test again.

“Thank God. The latest test done yesterday is also negative,” he wrote in a brief Facebook post today, while also showing a copy of his RT-PCR test results received today.

Last year, MPs who attended Dewan Rakyat meetings in the Parliament building in the national capital Kuala Lumpur had to undergo Covid-19 tests and were later subjected to regular tests while the weeks of sittings got underway.

Najib had last year also tested for Covid-19 after returning from campaigning for Barisan Nasional in the Sabah state election.

Najib did not say in his Facebook post why he had went for the Covid-19 test yesterday, but was reported to have been in a meeting with Umno’s Pasir Salak MP Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.

A news report yesterday by portal Malaysiakini said that both Najib and Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had met with Tajuddin at the Umno headquarters three days before the latter tested positive for Covid-19.

Photographs of Tajuddin’s meeting with Najib and Umno also appeared on Twitter yesterday, after Tajuddin’s announcement that he had tested positive for Covid-19.

Zahid today announced that he tested negative for Covid-19 after going for a swab test yesterday.

Tajuddin, who is Prasarana Malaysia Berhad chairman, is also an Umno supreme council member and Umno’s Pasir Salak division chief.

Tajuddin had on January 12 attended a press conference together with Umno’s Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz, who announced he tested positive for Covid-19 on January 18.

The January 12 press conference by Nazri was attended by Umno blogger Datuk Zaharin Mohd Yasin, who announced on January 14 that he had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Senior government officials who have tested positive in recent weeks include National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique (January 19), Deputy Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin (January 13); Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin (January 12); Women, Family and Community Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun (January 10); Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed (January 9); and Sabah Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan (January 3).

Other lawmakers who have also tested positive for Covid-19 since the year started include: PAS vice-president Senator Idris Ahmad (January 15); Umno Gua Musang MP Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (January 13); Amanah Parit Yaani assemblyman Aminolhuda Hassan (January 12); Umno Galas assemblyman Mohd Syahbuddin Hashim and his wife (January 11); Umno Nenggiri assemblyman Ab Aziz Yusoff (January 9); and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku Bingkor assemblyman Datuk Robert Tawik (January 8).