Minister of Religious Affairs Datuk Seri Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri has apologised to Malaysians after testing positive for Covid-19.
He has been heavily criticised for not self-quarantining following his return from Sabah and instead carrying out a packed schedule that saw him crisscrossing the peninsula on official business.
“This period of time given by Allah SWT gives me the opportunity to reflect and examine the areas for improvement for the future.”
“I am, from the bottom of a truly sincere heart, once again apologising for what happened,” he tweeted on his official Twitter account this morning.
Zulkifli, who confirmed that he had tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday, has also advised all those who have attended any events that he had participated in between September 24 and October 4 to undergo a Covid-19 screening at any health clinic immediately.
His diagnosis also means that all attendees of a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Department on October 3 are now under a 14-day house quarantine, including the prime minister and most Cabinet ministers.
Zulkifli’s diagnosis comes after an exponential surge of Covid-19 cases nationwide over the past few days, with the country recording a new record-high of 432 cases yesterday.
Zulkfili has been to three universities, visited Kelantan and Terengganu and attended several conferences since returning from Tuaran, Sabah on September 24.
While it’s unknown when or how the minister contracted Covid-19, his Twitter timeline shows the various places he has been since coming back from Sabah.
According to the minister’s official Twitter timeline, the 51-year-old was only in Sabah for one day on September 24 as one day before that he was pictured distributing donations from the Federal Territories Islamic Affairs Department (JAWI) food bank to 50 people at the PPR Pinggiran Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur.
September 24
On September 24 in Tuaran, Zulkfili visited former Sabah mufti Sahibus Samahan Tuan Guru Ismail Abbas and distributed donations from the YaPEIM food bank to 200 children in Kg Serusup.
During the one-day trip, Zulkifli also stopped at the Gerai Kelapa Bakar Kak Tini for coconut pudding before stopping at Kg Lok Batik in Tuaran to visit some fire victims.
Zulkifli returned home from the Kota Kinabalu Airport, where he had met Sabah mufti Datuk Bungsu @ Aziz Jaafar.
September 25
Upon his return, Zulkifli did not undergo any quarantine process and immediately went to Kelantan.
The government only decided to implement mandatory Covid-19 testing and home quarantine for all travellers returning from Sabah from September 27.
Zulkifli flew to Kelantan via the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Pengkalan Chepa on September 25.
He began his working tour of Kelantan by visiting Madrasah Diniah Bakriah Pondok Terusan Limbat in Pasir Tumboh to join others cleaning mosques and delivering a religious lecture.
Following that, he held a town hall meeting in Kelantan on YADIM’s Open Day and stressed the importance of building the economy and self-development. In one of the pictures, he is seen sitting beside PAS information chief Nasrudin Hasan Tantawi.
In some photos, Zulkifli and Nasruddin were both shown not wearing masks.
He later attended a bigger town hall session at the Kelantan Public Library Corporation Hall in Kota Baru, which was also attended by Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob.
On the same day, he also delivered the sermon and joined the congregational Friday prayer at the Ulul Albab Mosque in Jerteh, Terengganu.
Afterwards, he also visited his family in Kuala Terengganu, where he was shown greeting his parents in close contact with no masks.
When he returned to Kuala Lumpur, he visited the Pak Tam Restaurant in Charter Field Town, Sepang, where he greeted some disabled youths.
In the video posted on his timeline, Zulkifli is seen handing out souvenirs without a mask in the warung.
Tadi saya singgah minum di Putrajaya. Kebetulan bertemu beberapa anak muda OKU Pekak berbangsa Melayu dan Cina yang bekerja sebagai pemandu e-hailing. Semoga sedikit saguhati mengubat keletihan dan menggembirakan mereka. pic.twitter.com/4ysZd2TQdD
— Dr. Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri (@drzul_albakri) September 25, 2020
September 26
Zulkifli was shown delivering a morning religious lecture in Sultan Hisamuddin Jamek Mosque in Sepang, Selangor, which was livestreamed.
He later joined a Federal Territories Religious Affairs Council (MAIWP) event at the Pantai Ria low-cost housing where he delivered aid to the needy.
Zulkifli has been to three universities to handover various donations, namely UiTM in Shah Alam and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Bangi on October 4, and Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (October 2), where he also delivered the Friday sermon.
Among some of the major events he attended since returning from Tuaran include the three-day Shariah Judiciary and Legal Conference on October 1 and the Shariah Ju Majlis Tilawah dan Hafazan al-Qur’an KAFA on October 4.
Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) has directed all individuals who were in close contact with Zulkifli during a function at the university yesterday to undergo Covid-19 screening immediately.
According to Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil, all attendees of an event in the Pantai Ria low-cost housing project has also been called in for Covid-19 testing following a visit by Zulkifli on September 26.