Fahmi deflects questions on Health Ministry’s open house controversy, says it was not discussed in Cabinet

Fahmi deflects questions on Health Ministry’s open house controversy, says it was not discussed in Cabinet

KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil has urged questions regarding the Health Ministry’s controversial open house event to be directed to Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa, The Star reported.

Speaking during his weekly press conference in Putrajaya today, Fahmi said the matter was not discussed during the Cabinet meeting.

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“I don’t have information, I was not invited,” he was quoted as saying.

According to The Star, the Health Ministry’s Aidilfitri open house yesterday drew widespread criticism from the healthcare fraternity, internet users, and politicians.

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The backlash stemmed from the event’s inclusion of prominent celebrities Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza and Datuk Jamal Abdillah, which critics said contrasted starkly with the challenging conditions faced by healthcare workers.

Fahmi, who is also the government’s spokesperson, said his ministry’s previous open house last year featured artistes who performed without charge, but he had no details about yesterday’s Health Ministry event.

“I don’t have any information on that. Please refer to the Health Minister,” he reiterated.

The Star also reported that the event came under fire after pressure group Hartal Doktor Kontrak accused the ministry’s leadership of being out of touch with the struggles of healthcare staff.

“The Health Ministry staff are happy, even though their on-call or overtime allowance is very low, claims get rejected all the time, equipment cannot be purchased due to the lack of allocations, but at least the ministry’s top management can have fun with famous artistes,” the group said in a Facebook post yesterday.

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Attempts to reach Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa for comments on the event and the criticism it attracted have yet to receive a response.