Ipoh Timur MP Howard Lee is facing brickbats from netizens following a confrontational interview with CodeBlue’s editor-in-chief Boo Su-Lyn.
The 2-minute clip has been making rounds on Twitter, where it has amassed 3.3 million views at the time of writing.
Arrogant or triggered?
In the clip, Lee was asked by Boo about how long healthcare workers must wait until they’re given the green light to go on strike in a bid for better wages and working conditions.
In response, Lee said that he doesn’t answer “emotive questions”.
Despite the obvious discomfort, Boo pressed on and asked Lee how long healthcare workers should wait for solutions to be introduced and implemented, to which he said that they should wait for the government to ensure “all stakeholders are taken into account, into policy, before they (healthcare workers) strike,”
However, when Boo insisted that Lee provide a tangible timeline, he replied smugly in a thick British accent:
Do I look like a minister? Do I look like I’m in the executive? Do I look like I have the power to dictate?
Watch the clip here:
MP @howardlee_my wants health workers to wait for the government “to look into all the necessary measures to ensure all stakeholders are taken into account, into policy” before going on strike.
— CodeBlue (@codebluenews) March 7, 2023
“I think the Ministry needs to be given the room to do everything that’s necessary.” pic.twitter.com/qdQkHSip36
Split reactions online
Responses from netizens over the clip has been mixed, with some bashing Lee’s arrogant tone and others coming to his defense.
For the critics, many said that Lee was being disrespectful towards Boo and had poor communication skills.
On the other hand, some accused Boo of purposely asking Lee a loaded question in order to bait an emotive response to generate views for CodeBlue as the clip didn’t show the full picture.
In response to online criticism, Lee himself posted a tweet where he remained firm in his performance during the interview.
When one fishes for a response by emotionalising and weaponising the future of healthcare workers and the welfare of their families and health of their patients; I refuse to answer.
“I’ve been consistent in highlighting the problems faced by healthcare workers; the manner the question is asked is the manner I respond,” he said.
When 1 fish 4a response by emotionalising & weaponising the future of HCWs & the welfare of their families & health of their patients; I refuse 2answer. I’v been consistent in highlighting the problems faced by HCWs; the manner the question is asked is the manner I respond.
— Howard Lee (@howardlee_my) March 7, 2023
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