Hishammuddin, Vigneswaran to comply with Health Ministry's decision on compounds

ISKANDAR PUTERI: Barisan Nasional (BN) treasurer-general Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein will comply if the Health Ministry issues a compound for COVID-19 standard operating procedure (SOP) violations at the launch event of the MIC Brigade today.

He said the organising of such a political party programme would always be a concern as it was seen to be hard to control.

"If there's a SOP violation then we have to pay the compound, this thing is a concern when we hold political programmes it's hard to control. So if it can't be controlled and violates the SOP, they have to face compounds," he told reporters after the launch at Educity Stadium here.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had earlier tweeted that he had ordered ministry officials to issue compounds to the event organiser and several senior political party leaders for SOP violations.

The Sembrong MP, who is also Senior Defence Minister, acknowledged his error and accepted whatever action that would be taken against him and other leaders.

"For myself, if there's an offence, you have to take action....I welcome it...what's wrong is wrong," Hishammuddin said.

Meanwhile, MIC president Tan Sri S.A. Vigneswaran said he would also comply if issued a compound and said that they would be more careful when organising future party programmes.

He said the programme was very well-received and that it was hard to estimate the number of attendees.

"When we planned the programme, we really followed the set SOP, but we did not expect there would be violations. In the future, we will be more careful and organise party programmes on a much smaller scale," he added.

The media were unable to obtain any comments from MIC Johor chairman R. Vidyananthan and Johor BN chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad, who is facing a compound himself.

The programme in question, that began at 5.20 pm and ended at 7.30 pm, was believed to have been attended by around 3,000 people.

-- BERNAMA