Press Statement by Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) Lebuh Melayu Branch Chairman cum Penang Island City Councillor, Wong Yuee Harng, dated 21st August 2020, Georgetown, Penang:
MCA should stop playing politics and apologise to all Penangites
This is in response to transport minister Wee Ka Siong’s allegation that I have made misleading statement concerning the issue about incoming medical tourist to Penang.
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First of all, I would like to thank Wee who is also the president of MCA for acknowledging that the chartered flight carrying medical tourists from Indonesia to Penang was the sole decision made by the PN federal government. This has vindicated the Penang state government against MCA and Gerakan that put the blame on the state administration.
When the medical flight was first highlighted, Wee had been very quiet while his colleague Tan Teik Cheng, the Penang MCA chief, busied scapegoating Penang government and the chief minister Chow Kon Yeow. Tan had pinned the blame on the state government and called it “ridiculous.”
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Earlier, on 18th of August, PN senior minister Ismail Sabri had confirmed that Penang state government had no authority to stop any social and business activity including medical tourism. That itself had contradicted MCA Tan Teik Cheng’s accusation levelled at the Penang government.
https://tinyurl.com/y3lcswxg
Subsequently, on 20th of August, the MCA president and transport minister Wee himself had posted on his Facebook stating that “the country (federal government) has allowed chartered medical flights to enter the country.”
https://tinyurl.com/y5vdqcru
The remarks made by both Ismail Sabri and Wee had confirmed without a shadow of doubt that the arrival of medical tourists to Penang was the sole decision made by the PN federal government.
I had in my earlier statement pointed out that Wee himself had said that the medical tourists’ arrival was approved by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), and the Immigration Department – all were federal agencies (among them, two agencies under MOT). This showed that I had not made misleading statement by playing politics.
https://tinyurl.com/y4o7mjr9
The one who had politicised the matter with false accusations was MCA, with its Penang chief Tan Teik Cheng accusing the state government for the fault of the federal government.
I hope that Wee Ka Siong can control his own party members, especially their Penang MCA chief, from scapegoating and defaming the state government. Wee should instruct Tan Teik Cheng to apologize to Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow and Penangites for spreading false information to the public.
WONG YUEE HARNG