KUALA LUMPUR: Former Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had taken to social media to hit out at Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
Posting Bung Moktar’s photo in an Instagram story, Tuesday, Khairy lashed out at him in the photo’s caption, describing him as the “enemy of public health.”
He further wrote in the post: “Wants to oppose the law to control smoking products. Opposed it when I was Minister. Still opposes it. Probably thinks smoking doesn’t cause cancer. P*akyu Moktar Radin. Nasib baik Sabah tak jatuh kat kamu.”
It was made to understand, prior to the “P*akyu” post, Khairy shared a screenshot of a Health Ministry statement which could have been what triggered his angry post directed at Bung Moktar.
The statement was on a toddler who was hospitalised after it was believed she had ingested or inhaled vape liquid.
On the screenshot, Khairy commented: “Pass the smoking control bill WITH the GEG now.”
During his tenure, Khairy championed the Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking Bill 2022 in which cigarettes and tobacco and vape products will be banned for those born from 2007.
It was dubbed the generational end game (GEG) bill. However, the tabling did not materialise prior to the parliament being dissolved last year.
After a change in government following the 15th General Election, the bill has yet to be tabled in Parliament.
Earlier this year, Bung Moktar asked the current Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa to prioritise equal healthcare access instead of anti-smoking initiatives.
According to
Code Blue, when debating the 2023 Budget, Bung Moktar highlighted factors that made Sabah poor, and one of them was insufficient access to healthcare.
He asked the ministry to look at improving healthcare nationwide instead of looking at “cigarettes and all sorts of things”, which he deemed as not important.
“What is important is raising the quality of health care at all levels. That is important.
“As a minister, you should look at this as a priority; don’t be swayed by the opinions of the past minister,” he said, as reported by
Code Blue.
