DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has questioned the sincerity of the Perikatan Nasional government to put politics aside and to focus on fighting the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia.
"On Sunday night, the question was whether Muhyiddin (Yassin) would resign as prime minister, following the rejection by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of the cabinet’s advice to declare a state of emergency and suspend Parliament to fight the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia.
"Last night, the question was whether the Muhyiddin's backdoor government would fall if the Umno Supreme Council resolved to pull out of the PN government, which was formed after the infamous Sheraton Move plot in February.
"All the talk (has been) of political reconciliation and national unity, but the action was all about political divisiveness and national polarisation.
"It would appear that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s advice to Malaysians to stop politicking and destabilising the government so that all people, regardless of background and particular ideology, could set aside their differences and disagreements and unite as one against the Covid-19 pandemic… has fallen on deaf ears," said the MP for Iskandar Puteri.
Where is the “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” mindset to fight the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia, which is the nub of the message from the advice of the Yang di Pertuan Agong and the Malay Rulers on Sunday, Lim asked.
Lim said the Covid-19 situation in Malaysia was serious and alarming, but it could and must be brought under control. Malaysia was not in the league of Spain, which declared an emergency after suffering 1,156,498 infections and 35,031 fatalities.
"In the last 24 hours, Malaysia’s ranking in the world has worsened from No 88 to No 86, beating North Macedonia and Australia (in terms of the numbers of cases).
"Malaysia has now experienced 236 fatalities from the pandemic.
"We must not deteriorate further, in fact, we must strive to be better than Thailand, which is ranked No 146 in the world with most Covid-19 infections, with 3,743 cases and 59 fatalities – representing 54 cases and 0.8 fatalities per million of population.
"But the most important difference is that Spain’s state of emergency does not involve the suspension of the Spanish Parliament. In fact, it would be the Spanish Parliament which would decide whether the decree of a state of emergency would be extended beyond 14 days!
"In Malaysia, however, the intention is to suspend Parliament rather than to impose an emergency!
"We have wasted two days and should not waste any more time to focus and forge an 'all-of-government' and 'whole-of-society' mindset and approach in the war against the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic Malaysia," Lim said.
Yesterday, Lim called for political parties to reach a national consensus for a Warisan candidate to take over the parliamentary seat of Batu Sapi, vacated by the death of former minister Liew Vui Keong, without a contest.
The Election Commission has announced that nomination for the Batu Sapi by-election will be on Nov 23 and polling on Dec 5. - Mkini
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