Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin issued a statement on his Facebook page this evening saying he held a video conference to discuss the Covid-19 situation, amid rumours that he was in Singapore receiving treatment for cancer.
Muhyiddin said in a posting published at 6pm that he was briefed by Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a video conference that lasted 40 minutes.
The posting was also accompanied by a photo of him seemingly appearing healthy, likely in a bid to quash speculation about his health. Muhyiddin is said to be in remission for pancreatic cancer.
“There are rumours that I am in Singapore for treatment,” he wrote.
“I would like to state it is absolutely untrue.
“For everyone’s information I am undergoing quarantine at my home in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.”
Muhyiddin himself is under quarantine after public health authorities discovered he was in close proximity with a government official who tested positive for Covid-19 just ahead of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.
The prime minister tested negative but had been advised to remain in isolation for two weeks, which was likely why today’s conference was held via video.
The Pagoh MP said he discussed several issues during the conference.
Among them was the government’s view that communities should be empowered to draw up measures to protect themselves from infections.
The campaign, he said, would help educate society to be more responsible in ensuring Health Ministry’s guidelines are adhered to, and hence, alleviate the workload shouldered by our health frontliners.
Whether or not the conditional movement control order can be lifted will depend on the ability of communities to enforce and practise strict social distancing, he added.
“Overall, I am very satisfied with our progress in the fight against Covid-19 as informed by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
“I have faith that if members of the public can work together and look after their own communities our country will succeed in ending this outbreak,” he concluded.
Apart from Muhyiddin, several other senior government officials, including Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali, Attorney-General Idrus Harun and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Azam Baki, are undergoing self-quarantine.
Following his absence from the public eye, some quarters have speculated on social media that the prime minister’s pancreatic tumour was back and he had to seek treatment in Singapore.
He had previously undergone an operation for his tumour in the island republic in August 2018.