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THE new government lacks urgency, focus and decisiveness in addressing the country’s health and economic crises, said Anwar Ibrahim.
The PKR president said he was troubled by the political manoeuvring that the government has been engrossed in as Covid-19 infections spread.
Yesterday saw the biggest increase of Covid-19 infections in a single day, with 190 new cases, bringing the total to 428, which is the highest among southeast Asian nations.
Amidst the Covid-19 concerns, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s new cabinet has come under pressure from several Umno leaders, who say the party should have been given more positions and more influential portfolios.
“This sudden increase in cases is a clear warning sign that unless decisive actions are taken immediately, Malaysia’s healthcare system will struggle under the weight of an exponential spread of infection throughout the population,” Anwar said in a statement today.
He said Putrajaya should take bold steps to slow the transmission of the virus, enhance capacity of the healthcare system to cope with large numbers of critically ill patients and begin to further stimulate the economy and provide a strong social safety net for the poor and marginalised.
“The government must immediately mandate and enforce stronger rules to enhance social distancing, including making a clear decision about halting public gatherings, and suspending schools and religious observances for a period of time,” he said.
“Employers, both in the civil service and private sector, should assist by implementing work-from-home policies as much as possible.
“We must give serious consideration to closing non-essential commercial and retail outlets for a period of time to control the rapid spread of infection.”
Anwar also called for the use of e-commerce and e-delivery platforms to keep people away from public spaces, adding that additional overseas travel restrictions need to be adopted as the virus spreads in other countries.
The virus, which originated in Wuhan, China has now spread to more than 120 countries, infecting close to 170,000 people with more than 6,500 deaths.
Several countries, including Italy, Spain, and France, have ordered lockdowns as governments work to stop the spread of the virus.
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