In a Facebook posting this evening, Najib wished Lim a speedy recovery.

However, he said he had noticed that many people had hugged the DAP veteran at the party’s annual congress on Sunday (where Lim had announced his retirement from politics).

Later, after news broke about opposition leader and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim also having tested positive, Najib posted that he wished Anwar well, but added: “Next time, don’t hug him too tightly”.

Najib, who is MP for Pekan, said MPs from DAP who had hugged Lim at the party congress should place themselves in quarantine and not attend the current Dewan Rakyat sitting, to make sure that the house is not infected as a result of their error.

He also asked whether DAP members should be issued compound notices, the way a popular singer had been fined for hugging.

“I don’t wish to be malicious, but this gang (DAP members) takes pleasure in accusing me of violating the SOP, so much so KJ fined me many times,” said Najib, referring to health minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Last week, Khairy said five compound notices had been issued to Najib for SOP violations during the Johor elections campaign. However, only one was served, as his officer refused to accept four other notices, Khairy said.

In May last year, Najib was penalised with RM3,000 in two compound notices for SOP violation at a chicken rice shop in Kuala Lumpur.

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