KJ determined to solve unsolved tasks before Parliament’s dissolution

PUTRAJAYA - Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar said he would ensure that some of his duties as Health Minister are completed before Parliament is dissolved.

Khairy said the move was to ensure that all policies and plans of the Health Ministry (MOH) continued without hiccups.

“It’s just a few months or a few weeks away left.

“I want to make sure that unsolved tasks are solved (before the dissolution of Parliament),” he said at a press conference in conjunction with his one-year achievement at the MOH here on Wednesday.

Khairy said that if the task could not be fully completed before the dissolution of Parliament, it would be left in good order so it could be handed over to the future Health Minister to proceed.

“Senior MOH officers who will take over at the helm of the ministry after Parliament is dissolved must be prepared for any eventuality before a new minister is appointed after the 15th General Election (GE15).

“During the period when we disband the Parliament, each ministry will continue the ‘autopilot’ service led by the chief secretary of the ministry and so on, hence should be prepared by now.

“If I pretend that GE15 is not going to happen, then the officials won’t move, so we have to make every preparation from now on,” he said.

He stressed that the Health White Paper must continue for the future of all Malaysians.

“If I am no longer here, perhaps in November or December, what will happen to the White Paper?” he asked.

Khairy also explained why he took a stand to talk less about political issues during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“In a pandemic situation, the Health Minister should focus on health.

“If there is a lot of political commentaries, the credibility of the MOH itself will be affected because the people see that the minister is talking politics only.

“For me, I chose to speak less (politically) until it was time for the dissolution of Parliament,” he said.

Touching on Covid-19 management procedures, he said the country’s experience in the face of the pandemic must be institutionalised for the ministry to be on standby in the event of a new pandemic.

“The pandemic experience is very valuable and needs to be institutionalised as the officers who were in the MOH during the pandemic will one day retire.

“I probably won’t be here soon,” he said.

He said the move was the basis for ministry officials in the future.

“If there is a future pandemic, we already know the procedures such as how the government will communicate with the people, what measures need to be made and what lessons can be taken,” he said.

The Health White Paper would focus on the most fundamental reforms to address major systemic and structural challenges facing the health care system, not specific diseases or individual demographic groups.

It is expected to be tabled in Parliament later this year.