KUALA LUMPUR – Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has cautioned Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad against causing “unnecessary” fear and “unease” among the public regarding the Covid-19 situation in the country.
Responding to Dzulkefly’s recent press conference on updates of the illness, Tiong said that reporting the number of infection cases on a day-to-day basis would only incite unwarranted panic and fear among the people, which could adversely affect Malaysia’s tourism and economy.
“To balance the recovery of tourism and the country’s economy, I urge the Health Ministry to exercise caution when disseminating information about Covid-19 to prevent adverse effects on the public.
“There is no denying that Covid-19 is an important public health issue and can’t be ‘swept under the carpet’, but it is equally crucial to avoid instigating fear and a negative perception of Malaysia, which will impact the tourism industry and consequently, the national economy,” Tiong said in a post on his official Facebook profile.
Tiong said he based his appeal on the concerns expressed by players in the tourism industry and the public.
“We need to take a more realistic approach by comparing the current situation with what we had to deal with during the beginning of the pandemic.
“It would be good if we refrain from creating unnecessary panic, such as reporting the number of new infection cases on a daily basis, as this will indirectly trigger unnecessary fear,” he added.
Tiong also compared Dzulkefly’s handling of the situation with that of his Indonesian counterpart.
He pointed out that the Indonesian health minister had issued statements assuring his people that the Covid-19 situation for the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations was not at a worrying level in the country.
“Comparing the statements made by both health ministers, it can be perceived that the situation in Malaysia is far worse than in Indonesia.
“This could lead tourists to avoid Malaysia and instead choose to go to Indonesia, resulting in economic losses for Malaysia,” he added.
Tiong said that he would raise this concern in the upcoming cabinet meeting to find a reasonable solution to control the spread of the virus while not adversely affecting the country’s economy.
On December 18, Dzulkefly held a press conference highlighting the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country.
He also said that the government is not considering drastic measures such as a Movement Control Order at the moment. – December 24, 2023