APRIL 20 — I refer to the current raging proposals that the Director General of Health, Malaysia, be anointed as a minister.
I wish to impress that it is much more appropriate that the very professional and competent Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah be retained as the Director General of Health rather than anyone ascribing to a vision that he be anointed as Malaysia's Minister of Health.
In my mind, the moment a person is elevated to being a politician, such person need filter his professional stance to accommodate the wishes of his party (if he is a member of one such) or follow the dictats of the ruling party (if he is not).
In short, he loses the independence to make decisions based on medical evidence and science due to having to pander to the political aspirations of the ruling party, which, in some instances, may not be to the benefit of the general public.
As many Malaysians (and some in the global community) are in consonance, the Director General of Health is performing a sterling job in providing firm leadership and offering much needed reassurance in combating the critical threat of Covid-19.
The way he deals with issues clearly indicates that political considerations were never his priorities, but, the general well being of the health of Malaysians remain paramount — as it should rightly be!
Thus, this misconceived notion that he can perform better by being elevated as a minister is, in my opinion, inappropriate.
Let him be where he is, for the time being — Malaysia severely needs such a competent and towering figure under these trying circumstances.
Perhaps, if any acknowledgement be due to him in future, let the powers-that-be consider plans to nominate the man to be the future Secretary General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) — a truly global and more professional recognition of his abilities than merely being a minister in Malaysia!
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
