Malaysian minister apologises for violating dine-in restrictions

PETALING JAYA • Police are investigating Malaysian minister Mustapa Mohamed for allegedly breaking Covid-19 health protocols, after pictures of him eating in a cafe in Kelantan went viral.

Datuk Seri Mustapa, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Economics, went to the cafe in his Jeli constituency to meet an entrepreneur running his business under lockdown restrictions. The minister visited the cafe at 5.30pm on Saturday, according to a statement from his office issued a day later.

Mr Abdul Syafizi Sallah, owner of the cafe, showed Mr Mustapa how he harnessed social media to run his cafe, which serves western cuisine. Mr Syafizi, 26, later posted photographs of the visit to thank the minister for hearing him out.

"Datuk Seri Mustapa admitted that he was at the Alfath Cafe in Kampung Kalai Jeli, where he was also served food," his office said.

Mr Mustapa apologised for not abiding by the dining-in restrictions and said he would leave it to the police to take further action.

Under Malaysia's current full lockdown, dining in is prohibited. Food outlets are allowed to sell meals only for takeaway, or through delivery and drive-through services.

Other prominent figures who fell foul of Malaysia's Covid-19 protocols include former prime minister Najib Razak, who had to cough up RM3,000 (S$970) last month for not registering his temperature and checking in before entering a restaurant.

Singer Siti Nurhaliza and her husband were also fined RM10,000 each, for "failing to maintain physical distancing" during a religious ceremony known as "tahnik" for their newborn child at their home in April.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK