Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin said there was no breakdown on how the money was spent in the written answer in Parliament, raising suspicion that the funds may not have been used for the intended purpose.

The Sabah DAP secretary, in his question during the July 16 Dewan Rakyat sitting, had asked the health ministry to state the amount spent on hotel quarantine and provide the breakdown for the various states.

Chan said his question was in view of the numerous public complaints Sabah had received over the sub-standard quality of public quarantine centres.

“Regrettably, in the ministry’s reply, they had merely stated that a total of RM105.4 million had been channelled for this purpose through the tourism ministry.

“It is important for the breakdown (hotel spending by state) to be given to rebut any allegation of bias or preferential treatment for Peninsular Malaysians at the expense of Sabahans,” he said.

Chan said health matters came under the federal government under the Federal Constitution.

“Previously, Putrajaya refused to subsidise hotel quarantine for those returning to Sabah from abroad, including from Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.

“As a result, health authorities in Sabah had to quarantine them at the Likas Sports Complex, leading to numerous public complaints over the facilities provided,” he said.

The Likas Sports Complex was meant to be an extension of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital I during the lockdown.

Meanwhile, Chan also questioned the reasons for the health ministry to gazette 1,572 premises as quarantine centres nationwide, but utilising only 321 until July 7.

These 321 premises included 160 public institutes and other public facilities as well as 161 hotels.

On the voter registration exercise today, Chan said he was informed that the automatic registration for 18-year-olds as voters would only begin next July.

Fake or not? Check our quick fake news buster here.