Saifuddin calls for political ceasefire between ruling govt, opposition

 

Perikatan Nasional's Pahang chairperson Saifuddin Abdullah has called for a political ceasefire between the BN/PN and the opposition parties to ensure that Malaysia is able to focus on containing the Covid-19 pandemic and reviving the economy.

"I feel that from now until the 15th general election, we need time to calm down and there should be some kind of political ceasefire among the politicians," the foreign minister told a press conference at Wisma Putra today.

"We should have some kind of political ceasefire so that all of us - the government and the opposition - will have some peace of mind for us to focus on our work, dealing with pandemic and to revive the economy," he said.

"During this cooling-off period, we need to reset the system. We have complained about so many things, so I strongly believe that we need to reset the system, which will entail all kinds of works.

"I would like, in particular, for the parliamentarians to adhere to the royal decree so that we could reduce the political disputes," Saifuddin added.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had previously invited the opposition to join the National Recovery Council and a Covid-19 special committee.

Harapan has not made a decision on the matter, but DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said his party would be open to considering the invitation if the opposition is not made a rubber stamp.

Last Wednesday, Ismail Sabri hosted a meeting with Harapan leaders, including opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim, after which the prime minister issued a statement saying that they have agreed to strengthen the parliamentary institution.

The hour-long meeting, among others, focused on finding a common ground to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. - Mkini