Careful in giving out Covid-19 information, Tiong tells Health Ministry
SHAH ALAM - Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing wants the Health Ministry (MoH) to be more careful in providing information about Covid-19 so as not to cause public anxiety, thus affecting the Malaysian economy.
He said it was important to avoid creating fear and negative perceptions, especially for the tourism sector.
"There is no doubt that Covid-19 is an important public health issue and should not be 'hidden under the carpet' but we should also not act excessively to cause the situation to worsen.
"I am making this appeal based on the concerns and complaints expressed by both the tourism industry and the public.
"We need to take a realistic approach by taking into account the difference between the current situation and the situation that happened when the epidemic started spreading," he said in a post on his Facebook page on Sunday.
Previously, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad in a press conference said that the Covid-19 cases for the 51st Epidemiological Week (ME51) which is for the period from 17 to 22 December increased to 22,413 cases compared to 17,307 cases recorded in the previous week.
Tiong also asked the Kuala Selangor Member of Parliament to consider the impact of Covid-19 on the Malaysian economy by comparing his approach with the Indonesian health minister's actions in dealing with the situation.
He said Dr Dzulkefly does not need to act excessively and mislead the public that the epidemic in Malaysia was very serious.
"I will raise this concern in the Cabinet Meeting to find a balanced solution to ensure the epidemic situation is under control without affecting the country's tourism sector.
"I need to remind that every measure of prevention and control of Covid-19 must be thoroughly discussed about the effects, research and studies accordingly.
"Avoid hasty actions without considering interests and being exploited by opportunistic individuals, thereby harming the national economy," he said.
