Pmo Urges Puad To Retract Statement Or Face Legal Action

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PUTRAJAYA: The Prime Minister's Office has denied allegations that the three-day observation period for ministers returning from abroad was gazetted because Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin did not want to be quarantined following his return from Indonesia.
His office pointed out that the Prime Minister was given an observation and home surveillance order and was fitted with a pink bracelet on his return from Jakarta on Feb 5.
"The Prime Minister is currently observing quarantine at home. The allegation by Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi is malicious and intended to tarnish the good name of the Prime Minister.
"Legal action will be taken if he (Puad) fails to make a public apology," said the PMO in a statement on Tuesday (Feb 9).
Puad, an Umno supreme council member, in a shared post on the Johor Umno Facebook page, claimed that the Prime Minister and his entourage did not want to be quarantined for 10 days after returning from Jakarta.
He claimed because of this, a new order was issued by the Health Minister stating that ministers returning from abroad only had to undergo a reduced three-day quarantine period.
Muhyiddin made his first official trip abroad with a visit to Indonesia on Feb 4 but the visit lasted less than 24 hours owing to the current Covid-19 situation.
On Monday (Feb 8), the government issued a new ministerial order where ministers returning from abroad would undergo three days of observation or be under home surveillance until discharge without danger to the public.
The order takes effect on Feb 9 until Aug 1.
The new order was published in the government gazette under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act (Act 342) and was signed by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
According to the order, Cabinet ministers returning from any overseas official visits are now exempted from Section 15 of the Act. - Star

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