Senior Minister Azmin Ali’s warning that state governments could face legal repercussions for refusing to reopen their respective economies reminded his former boss of United States President Donald Trump.
PKR president Anwar Ibrahim (above) said his former estranged deputy should have opted to negotiate with the state governments instead.
“What is wrong with negotiating?” he asked during a livestream on Facebook today.
“It is not like the chief ministers and menteris besar do not care about unemployment and the economy, but they are also thinking of health and safety.
“But when they do not (reopen their economies), (Azmin) threatens them and not just threatens but asks companies to sue the state governments.
“I do not understand this. It shows his arrogance.
“He thinks his opinion is the best… it reminds me of the ways of President Trump. I think he might have learned this from Trump,” he added in response to questions from viewers.
Anwar pointed out that Trump (photo) had also threatened to sue state governors who did not follow his policies and announcements.
“Do not follow Donald Trump. Discuss and find an amicable solution,” he advised, noting that states have their own jurisdiction and powers as well.
Last night, Azmin, who is in charge of the economic cluster, said industry players could take legal action against state governments who refused to reopen their economies under the conditional movement control order (MCO) as announced by the federal government.
Anwar said while the conditional MCO has been put in place for economic rejuvenation, people’s lives are also important and there must be a balance between the two.
According to him, the conditions imposed on the economic sectors allowed to reopen must be tightened and be more organised.
He said Thailand and Singapore were more adept in handling similar matters.
Azmin came under the spotlight after his detractors blamed him for being responsible for the latest fiasco which saw several state governments declining to observe the federal government’s decision.
The international trade and industry minister, meanwhile, pointed out that menteris besar and chief ministers had attended the April 28 National Security Council (NSC) meeting which agreed on reopening the economic sectors.
He said the state governments realised that if the MCO continued until June, the cumulative loss of the national income was estimated to reach RM146 billion or a shortfall of 10.3 percent of the gross domestic product.
It was reported that at least six states – Sarawak, Sabah, Penang, Pahang, Kelantan and Kedah – had declined to reopen their economies.
Penang CM sets record straight, calls Azmin ‘lazy’
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow today accused Putrajaya of announcing the conditional movement control order (MCO) before providing adequate time for the 13 state governments to prepare.
In a public address, Chow (above) said Putrajaya held a meeting with the 13 state chief executives on April 28 and were briefed about the conditional MCO and the status of the economy.
Following this, Chow said the chief executives then sought more time to strategise on how to reopen the economy and study the new government guidelines for specific industries.
The guidelines were supposed to be shared with the state governments on April 30, but Chow claimed this never happened.
“I must put on record no state government objected to the conditional MCO during the April 28 meeting.
“But we wanted time to strategise the implementation,” said Chow.
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced the reopening of the economy on May 1.
The guidelines or standard operating procedures were then released over the next two days.
Penang has chosen to only open up the economy on May 8 to give time for the government and businesses to prepare themselves.
Five other states – Sabah, Sarawak, Kelantan, Pahang and Kedah – did not open up their economies yesterday. Some of the states will only decide whether to do so within this week.
Chow said Muhyiddin was “very excited” about restarting the economy and called International Trade and Industry Minister Azmin Ali “lazy” for failing to consult the states.
“It was unprecedented for so many states, whether they are from Perikatan Nasional or Pakatan Harapan, to take a different approach from what Azmin had expected.
“I want to ask the senior minister: What was he expecting when as the minister in charge he was lazy to engage all the state government to reach a consensus on the implementation (of the conditional MCO)?” asked Chow.
health
Selangor, Penang blast Azmin over CMCO threat
SELANGOR has defended its constitutional and legal right to not fully adopt Putrajaya’s conditional movement control order (CMCO), while Penang has dared the federal government to sue for not following the order which began yesterday.
Selangor executive councillor Teng Chang Khim said the state list and the concurrent list under the Ninth Schedule of the federal constitution empowers state governments to instruct businesses not to resume operations.
Local government power to oversee business operations is on the state list, while public health sanitation and prevention of diseases are on the concurrent list.
“There is no conflict or inconsistency whatsoever in the concurrent enforcement of the CMCO and the additional conditions imposed by the state government through local governments.
“The CMCO and the Local Government Act should be harmoniously read together to ensure the success of protecting the people from the infection of the coronavirus,” Teng, who chairs the state committee on investment, industry and commerce and small and medium enterprises, said in a statement today.
He was responding to Senior Minister and International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, who last night said state governments who did not fully adopt the federal government’s CMCO were in defiance of the law and could be sued by industry players who want to reopen for business.
Under the CMCO announced last Friday, most economic sectors are allowed to resume operations yesterday provided that businesses followed procedures to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Selangor decided to further restrict the number and types of businesses allowed to operate.
It also requires construction sites to submit health safety plans before receiving approval from the local authority, and has continued banning the use of public parks and dine-in at restaurants.
Teng said the state’s additional conditions were about implementing “soft-landing measures before the lifting of the MCO or the CMCO”.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, meanwhile, said the state and he were ready to be sued for protecting the lives of Penang citizens.
Penang has decided to implement the CMCO in phases instead of allowing sectors to restart in one day, and is preparing guidelines for industries in the meantime.
“Azmin should not threaten state governments but engage us respectfully in a strategic manner to help restore the country’s economy.
“It’s up to Azmin to decide if he wants to work with us or not,” Chow said at a press conference today in Penang today. THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
MKINI / THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
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