Coronavirus: Malaysia confirms 14 new cases linked to Khazanah cluster

The health ministry describes Patient 26, a top official from the sovereign wealth fund Khazanah, as an ‘extraordinary spreader’

It has traced 215 people who met the official, while some politicians say they will self-quarantine after meeting parties who had contact with Patient 26

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Malaysian Health Ministry director general Noor Hisham Abdullah says Patient 26 is an ‘extraordinary spreader’. Photo: Bernama/dpa

Published: 8:30pm, 4 Mar 2020Updated: 12:35am, 19 Mar 2020

Malaysia’s total number of coronavirus cases rose to 50 on Wednesday as it confirmed 14 new patients, its largest one-day jump, linked to a local cluster that also infected seven people the day before.

The new cases, all Malaysians, were found to have been in close contact with “Patient 26”, a top official at Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah who also serves on the board of a government-linked company.

Health Ministry director general Noor Hisham Abdullah described Patient 26 as “an extraordinary spreader”, adding that his ministry had traced 215 people who had met the patient and was awaiting 180 test results.

A police officer wears protective mask at a train station in Kuala Lumpur, on March 3, 2020. Photo: Reuters

Noor Hisham urged people in Malaysia to refrain from spreading fake news as investigations of the cluster were ongoing.

“The ministry hopes everyone can remain calm and cooperate with us by providing information if we contact them or they identify as a close contact [with Patient 26],” he said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Patient 26 had also met several politicians at the end of February, as Malaysia grappled with a week of political turmoil that saw former premier Mahathir Mohamad resign and new Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin sworn in on Sunday.

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