KUALA LUMPUR – Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has hit out at former Umno man Khairy Jamaluddin, labelling the former health minister as the worst to ever helm the post.
Tiong’s feisty statement today came after Khairy accused him, law minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, and “the gaffer” for blocking the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023 that regulates smoking and vaping as well as the Generational Endgame (GEG) policy.
While Khairy did not specify who “the gaffer” is, it is British slang referring to the boss.
Tiong also questioned Khairy’s contributions when he was still in the cabinet, apart from “increasing his popularity and image”.
“I’ve repeatedly voiced my doubts over the bill in Parliament. At that time, Khairy not only provided unclear answers, he also never answered my questions specifically,” said Tiong in a video on his Facebook.
“What was more galling was when he issued a statement that the B40 group was the majority group affected by smoking-related diseases such as cancer, heart and lung complications.
“The truth is that many cancer patients do not have a history of smoking. You (Khairy) have failed to consistently prove that cancer is caused by smoking, and fail to take steps to establish a research centre to analyse data of cancer patients in our country.”
Meanwhile, Azalina was reported as saying that the Attorney-General’s Chambers presented its legal views on the GEG during a cabinet meeting, and the cabinet was collectively responsible for the decision made.
CodeBlue, citing sources, previously reported that Attorney-General Datuk Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh is of the view that the lifetime ban on tobacco and vape products for anyone born on or after January 1, 2007, is unconstitutional.
Earlier this week, Khairy posted in an Instagram Story that the cabinet’s handling of the bill, which was his brainchild, was “absolutely shambolic”.
He alleged that when he was health minister, the AGC did not object to the content of the bill. – November 16, 2023