Muhyiddin: Perikatan put the people first

PETALING JAYA: Six months may be too short a period to judge the achievements of a ruling government but Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin says the Perikatan Nasional administration has done it's best to care for the people, especially in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Muhyiddin said Tuesday (Sept 1) that he owed it to the people to do a good job otherwise he'd have to answer to them and God.

"When I accepted this role, I had to shoulder the trust therefore I believe that my ministers and I should be responsible for the people.

"If we failed to do well, it isn't only the people that would question us, we also have to answer to God," he said.

Muhyiddin said this at a convention to mark Perikatan's half-year administration since it took over the reins in March.

Muhyiddin said it was also hard for the people to judge Perikatan's performance because it did not have a manifesto.

"However, the lack of one did not mean we could do as we pleased. As a leader, accountability is important to me and all leaders are responsible for the people they lead," he said.

He said this meant that the government had to start work immediately and there was no time for rest nor a honeymoon period.

He said it faced its first hurdle with managing the unprecedented Covid-19 crisis without much of a reference point.

Muhyiddin said while controlling the spread of the disease, it also had to take care of the people's welfare.

"Imposing the movement control order (MCO) was easy but ensuring economic protection was challenging," he said.

To counter that, the government initiated economic stimulus packages such as Penjana to jump-start the economy after the MCO lull.

"In the six months, we managed the Covid-19 crisis well and the country recorded low infection and death rates and high recovery rates.

"Our economic sectors have also reopened with more than 15 million workers returning to work," he said. - Star