Adopt open data on Covid-19 to gain public's trust, Anwar tells govt

 

PARLIAMENT | Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim suggested today that the government should adopt an open data approach to Covid-19 cases as a way to gain the public's trust in the enforcement of the various movement control orders.

This includes the latest month-long conditional MCO imposed on all peninsular states excluding Pahang, Perlis and Kelantan.

"I am asking that there be open data. I would like to stress, there must be transparentness.

"For example, there are seven cases in Selangor, let's say in Petaling Jaya, we want to know where and its veracity," the Port Dickson MP said in his debate of the Supply Bill 2021.

He said this in response to an intervention from Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Harapan-Setiawangsa) who said the government did not take into account an area's density versus its number of cases in enforcing the latest order.

"When there are open data and clear information, people will be more convinced. Right now many have started to question (the decision)," said Anwar.

Malaysiakini reported last month that the Selangor state government was "boxing blindfolded" in its Covid-19 response after the Health Ministry (MOH) allegedly stopped sharing crucial data on positive cases. 

At the time, the Selangor Task Force for Covid-19 (STFC) said it had since the first week of October no longer received granular data from MOH, thus hobbling its efforts to contain the outbreak.

Responding at his daily press briefing, Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said granular data cannot be provided to avoid possible misinterpretations or confusion if announcements are made independently by the state.

Meanwhile, Anwar said while there was no intention to question the Health Ministry's authority, certain matters including its recommendation on Covid-19 parliamentary restrictions should be kept open for discussion.

He said this in response to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun's earlier remarks against Hassan Karim (Harapan-Pasir Gudang) who, prior to the budget debate, raised an alleged constitutional breach following the 80 MPs limit imposed as part of Covid-19 prevention measures.

Azhar pointed out that Article 96 and Article 97 of the Federal Constitution as cited by Hassan did not state that all MPs must be present in the House at all times.

"Our quorum is 26 and we have 80 MPs... every day it's not like we get all 222 MPs.

"Most days around 120 MPs. Sometimes at 2.30pm we can't even get a quorum, but now suddenly the 80 MPs became a big issue," said Azhar who had since last week maintained that it was a consensus decision reached among all 10 parties' chief whips.

The 80 MPs limit is only enforced during debates and all MPs present in Parliament are allowed to reconvene in the hall for bloc voting.

Despite the consensus decision, MPs across both benches had spoken up against the limit, including during last Friday's budget sitting which eventually saw Azhar relenting to allow all of them to sit in the hall. - Mkini