Maszlee hits out at ministers ‘missing in action’

 

Maszlee Malik claims that some ministers were inefficient in their work.

PETALING JAYA: Former education minister Maszlee Malik has taken several ministers to task for “going missing” when they were especially needed during the Covid-19 crisis.

In a media interview today, he said the current government had failed to manage the crisis brought about by the pandemic.

Maszlee told Sinar Harian that some ministers were not only inefficient in their work, but had also breached the law.

“Where was the health minister when Covid-19 cases soared to above 800 in a day? Where was the education minister when children could no longer go to school to study? Where was the higher education minister when students were in need?

“What about the minister who breached quarantine orders and remains free?,” he said in a reference to plantation industries minister Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali who admitted last month he had failed to observe home quarantine after returning from a trip to Turkey.

Maszlee told Sinar Harian that “the ministers we have aren’t just scared to face the people and explain themselves, but are even afraid of the media, leaving the people perplexed and confused.”

Maszlee was education minister in the Pakatan Harapan government led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad but was forced to resign in January after several education controversies. He left PPBM with Mahatir and a few others in March after Mahathir’s government fell.

‘Solve political crisis through Dewan Rakyat’

Amid reports that he was among the MPs supporting PKR president Anwar Ibrahim’s attempt at forming a new government, Maszlee, who is MP for Simpang Renggam, said this matter was not as important as the predicament that the nation is currently facing.

“Our country isn’t just in health and economic crises but also humanitarian and leadership crises under a government whose stability is under question, and whose Cabinet lineup is inefficient,” he said.

Maszlee said the people were suffering, with many losing jobs, while facing a looming economic crisis when the automatic loan moratorium ends this month.

He added there was only one way to resolve the ongoing political crisis to bring some stability to the country, which was through the Dewan Rakyat.

“This will also give the people evidence as to how much support the prime minister commands today. This also resolves the matter according to the Constitution and strengthens the democratic system that we practise,” he said. - FMT