KUALA LUMPUR: A Pakatan Harapan lawmaker has defended Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong in his supposed involvement in the controversy over ventilator procurement during the Covid-19 crisis.
Chong Zhemin (pic), the MP of Kampar, asked in the Dewan Rakyat why Dr Wee (BN-Ayer Itam), who was the transport minister at the time, had to be involved in the process.
“Why must the blame be on Ayer Hitam? I am here to defend Ayer Hitam. This wasn’t his responsibility but that of the then health minister,” he said when debating Budget 2024 at the committee stage yesterday.
Chong later questioned whether Dr Wee’s supposed involvement showed the failure of the health minister during the Perikatan Nasional administration in carrying out its duties.
“This isn’t much money, as it’s just RM24mil, but it involves lives.
“We can earn money back if it’s stolen, but if lives are lost, they cannot be returned,” he said.
He also asked who had the final call on the ventilator purchase.
“That person has to answer, and, to me, that is Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
“It doesn’t matter if Ayer Hitam was involved in negotiations, but the final approval came from the health minister, and he has to be responsible,” he said.
Chong was referring to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report that no party could be held accountable over the ventilator procurement because no contract was drawn up and the deal was conducted via WhatsApp.
In the PAC report released on Oct 30, it was found that 104 of the 136 ventilators supplied by Pharmaniaga Logistics Sdn Bhd to the Health Ministry during the pandemic were defective, but no party was able to take responsibility as there was a lack of a written agreement between the company and the ministry.
