Adham had allowed interjections from opposition and government MPs earlier in his speech, but later chose not to give way due to a lack of time.
Hannah Yeoh (PH-Segambut) then urged Deputy Speaker Rashid Hasnon to allow Adham to take more time as the sitting had been extended to allow all ministers to wind up the debate on the budget.
She said the winding-up session was not meant to be “one-way traffic” and that debates should be allowed, adding that the ministers did not come to the Dewan Rakyat simply to recite answers.
Rashid said ministers were allowed to give explanations for their answers but maintained this was not the time for debate, adding that this should have been done in the previous weeks.
“I just want to wind up my speech, if not, I won’t be able to finish it. I have the answers for all the questions raised during the debate,” Adham said.
Dr Xavier Jayakumar (PH-Kuala Langat) later urged Rashid to give MPs more time to ask questions, since the proceedings today could be extended to later than usual.
“This is Parliament. We are not a rubber stamp. If you want us to be here and not to ask questions, what’s the point?”
While Adham was finishing up his speech, Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) asked the health minister why the RM500 one-off payment for frontliners was not extended to others such as policemen and soldiers.
Adham did not address his query despite Ahmad pressing him on the matter, but merely said: “Thank you to all the agencies involved with the health ministry to manage Covid-19. This will be noted by the finance minister.”
RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) then urged Adham to respond to Tiong King Sing’s (GPS-Bintulu) criticism of health director-general (DG) Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in the Dewan Rakyat two weeks ago.
Saying Adham, as the health minister, should be defending Noor Hisham in Parliament, Rayer asked why he was not defending a staff member of his ministry.
Asked by Rashid if he wanted to respond to Rayer, Adham declined.
Tiong received a barrage of criticism when he questioned Noor Hisham for not visiting hospitals in Sabah and asked the health DG if “he was afraid of dying from Covid-19”.
Tiong, who is also the special envoy to China, had also accused the health DG of seeking publicity with his daily health briefings, saying Noor Hisham should be going to the ground with the Covid-19 situation in Sabah worsening.