Najib: Excusing ministers from full quarantine could open Malaysia’s doors to dangerous Covid-19 variants

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 — A gazetted order letting ministers forego the mandatory 10-day Covid-19 quarantine upon returning from official trips abroad could lead to them importing new variants of the coronavirus into Malaysia, ex-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.

On Facebook, the Pekan MP noted that the average incubation period before Covid-19 infections were detectable was around five to six days, beyond the three days of surveillance that ministers only need to perform under the exemption.

The order from Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba was gazetted yesterday.

“There is a risk if those who are infected are wrongly released early, leading to them infecting more people under the mistaken assumption that they are free of Covid-19.

“It is even more dangerous if those wrongly released carry the infection from abroad, as there are possibilities for it to be new Covid-19 mutations that are more aggressive, such as the UK variant and the South Africa variant,” he added.

Najib also recalled that there have been cases of lawmakers who were released from self-quarantine only to later test positive for Covid-19.

He cited the cases of Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lim Yi Wei, Maharani assemblyman Nor Hayati Bachok and Ayer Limau state assemblyman Datuk Amiruddin Yusof as examples.

The trio had participated in campaigning for their parties during last year’s Sabah state election and tested positive following their return to the peninsula.

Najib said it was unwise to expose the country’s health system to further risks from new Covid-19 variants when it was already at its limit.

“At a time when active cases have already hit 51,000, with the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) capacity long exceeded, it is impossible for our healthcare system to cope should the UK mutation, which infects 70 per cent faster, spreads in our country,” he added.

In the gazetted order that Dr Adham issued using his authority as the health minister, Cabinet members returning from official visits abroad are exempted from Section 15 the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.

Section 15 of Act 342 pertains to observation or surveillance of contacts and that an authorised officer may order any contact to undergo observation in such place and for such period as he may think fit, or to undergo surveillance until he may be discharged without danger to the public.

The health minister is empowered under Section 29 of Act 342 to exempt any person, article, vehicle, human remains or tissues, animals and any pathogenic substances from the operation of any of the Act’s provisions or any regulations made under the Act.

Currently, Malaysian returnees must undergo a 10-day mandatory quarantine at home even if they test negative for Covid-19 upon arrival.