After Azmin leaves a 'bad taste', Kit Siang wants PM to mend ties

Lim Kit Siang is not convinced that Senior Minister Azmin Ali's warning that state governments could face legal repercussions for not re-opening their respective economies was a mere reminder and not a threat.

“What a pathetic explanation!” exclaimed the DAP veteran in a statement this morning.

Lim wondered if there were Malaysians who considered Azmin's remark, which was directed at nine state governments, as nothing more than a gentle reminder

“None at all – neither the nine state governments nor the Malaysian public. Clearly, the senior minister has a very abnormal way of giving reminders,” he added.

Accusing Azmin of leaving a “bad taste in the mouth in federal-state relations”, Lim urged Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to intervene.

“The prime minister should convene a meeting with all state governments to ensure that the federal government and all state governments are on the same page in the invisible war against Covid-19 to contain the coronavirus and rescue the Malaysian economy devastated by the pandemic,” he added.

Yesterday, Azmin clarified that his statement was not a threat but a reminder on the importance of state governments cooperating with Putrajaya.

Prior to this, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim had accused the senior minister of being arrogant and behaving like United States President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Lim claimed that Putrajaya has yet to develop the best exit plan strategy following the easing of restrictions under the conditional movement control order or CMCO.

Training his guns on Azmin and Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, he said: “The mess he (Azmin) has created over the CMCO, together with the call by the minister of finance on 3rd May to welcome proposals for the national economic recovery plan, are potent evidence that the government has yet to develop the best exit plan strategy and blueprint n the invisible war against Covid-19 although the invisible war is going to last another year or two.”

Lim said Azmin must realise the critical importance of an “all-of-government” approach – let alone a “whole-of-society” approach – to harness the strengths and resources of all state governments to work in tandem with the federal government to win this war to save lives and livelihoods.

“Although Azmin said the decision to re-open the economy was based on data and research conducted by various parties, he failed to explain why he did not ensure that the state governments reached a consensus first instead of bulldozing through with the CMCO,” he added.

Lim also reiterated his call for an extended parliament sitting, asking if the cabinet would restore a full session instead of a one-day sitting scheduled for May 18.

Previously, Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, Warisan president Mohd Shafie Apdal, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu issued a joint statement demanding a two-week sitting.

The quintet said there is no excuse for the government to limit the sitting to a single day since parliament had set a standard operating procedure on how it should be conducted.

Furthermore, the opposition leaders added that the government has allowed the re-opening of almost all economic sectors under the CMCO. - Mkini