Moonilal 'not surprised' by Health Minister's 'rum' comments

Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal says Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh “lacks any standard of decency.” He was responding to Deyalsingh’s contribution in the Parliament on Monday, where he said the UNC’s cure to the covid19 pandemic is “lime and Puncheon rum.”

When the closure of bars was initially announced, Moonilal had questioned, “Why bars and not groceries?” He made mention of the Liquor License Act which does not refer to bars but to “spirit retailers” and “spirit grocer licenses. He said groceries could still sell alcohol.

On Monday, Deyalsingh pointed out, “The member for Oropouche, when he was talking about it spent half of his contribution saying ‘Keep rum shops open’. So for the UNC, the solution to covid19 is to put up an IV drip with rum.”

He also said Senator Wade Mark said Puncheon and lime “good for virus.”

Speaking with Newsday on Wednesday, Moonilal said he was not surprised by the minister’s comments.

“The Minister of Health lacks decorum, lacks diplomacy, like the Minister of National Security who is now destroying Caricom unity. The Minister of Health lacks any standard of decency.

“He was quoting a columnist in the newspaper who is a mutineer who undertook a treasonable course of action. And the Minister of Health depended on a mutineer to support his argument. I found that to be completely befuddling.”