There are many suitable phrases to be used for the sign-off other than Prihatin rakyat: Darurat memerangi Covid-19 (Care for the rakyat: Emergency to fight Covid-19) to express the government's efforts in curbing Covid-19, says Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng.
Yesterday, the Public Service Department issued a letter on the new sign-off to be used throughout the emergency order and with immediate effect. It temporarily replaced Saya yang menjalankan amanah (I who am fulfilling trust).
Lambasting the phrase, Lim labelled the replacement of the sign-off as an act which is deaf and blind to the people.
"There are many suitable phrases to show the government's effort in facing the Covid-19 situation such as wearing a face mask, social distancing, personal hygiene or vaccines to fight the disease.
"They are much better than 'Emergency to fight Covid-19'," he said in a statement.
He added that the Perikatan Nasional government has found no other way to flatten the Covid-19 curve than declaring an emergency.
"Other countries spent billions to purchase vaccines. They have started their vaccination programmes.
"Their infection numbers are higher, yet they don't declare an emergency to tackle Covid-19," Lim said.
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had declared an emergency as consented to by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, to contain the worsened Covid-19 situation in the country. It is on top of the movement control order which was announced a day earlier.
However, critics viewed the emergency as Muhyiddin's arsenal to save the Perikatan Nasional government from collapsing due to razor-thin support in Dewan Rakyat and the withdrawal of at least two MPs from the government.
Meanwhile, Lim questioned whether the new mantra was suggested by medical frontliners or did it come from the political propaganda machine Community Communications Department (J-Kom).
J-Kom is a rebranded name of the Special Affairs Department, widely known as Jasa. Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah had assured that J-Kom is not a propaganda machine but to be used to relay accurate information to the masses. - Mkini
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