LETTER | When you collate the many reports on the mobility of a Covid-19 tested positive public figure, you cannot escape a fundamental question: In a pandemic situation where innocent lives can be put at high risk in quick time, should moral responsibility not supersede one's social, political or religious duties?

The current shocking revelations about our Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri's appearance in several states and often seen not complying with the established SOPs, such as wearing a face mask, we must demand pertinent, soul-searching accountability from our leaders and the seeming many role models.

The number of fellow leaders and officials who now have to be in isolation, or 'quarantined' as we prefer to term it because they were in contact with an infected person, did come with a high price.

Worst is the agony of knowing that many more children, students and the poor, too, may be infected and we are yet to establish the cluster.

While the vanguards entrusted to protect the nation of people keep harping on the SOPs to help contain the spread of the virus, we see how our politicians have compromised on the fundamental and basic health measures.

While the public is not spared from arrests, detentions and compounded with fines for failing to observe public and personal health and safety SOPs, we are, on the contrary, being faced with politicians and those holding high office blatantly disregarding the need to even use face masks, let alone strictly observe social distancing with a keen sense of social responsibility.

In simple language, their political expediencies overtook our national health safety, as was seen in the run-up to the Sabah state election that was manufactured with the untenable dissolution of the state government.

Indeed, leadership by example seems to have expired in my beloved land.

When the moral obligation is thrown out of the window of political expediency, popularity and staying in power, then a nation ends up in an extremely vulnerable state.

We would have failed in our national duty of patriotism if we let irresponsible leaders escape without being held accountable.