Sort out confusion between KJ and Hamzah, Kit Siang tells PM

 

Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang has urged Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to take a firm stand and put an end to the confusion between his ministers over the government's policy toward undocumented migrants particularly, in regard to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Muhyiddin should come forward to end such chronic confusion and uncertainty in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic, not only on the issue of undocumented migrants but also the preposterous idea by the home minister (Hamzah Zainudin) that Parliament would only convene when the country had achieved herd immunity against Covid-19,” Lim said.

In a statement today, Lim also called on the PM to declare an amnesty for undocumented migrants, fully backed by all political parties and Parliament, in order to prioritise the war against Covid-19.

He noted that this would allow the government to consult the relevant groups - which include employers, NGOs and foreign embassies - to encourage foreign workers and refugees to get inoculated.

The DAP veteran said Malaysia would never achieve herd immunity if the Home Ministry continued to create conditions that failed to encourage undocumented migrants to get vaccinated.

Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang

In February, National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin promised that the government would not arrest any undocumented migrants taking part in the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

However, this was contradicted by Hamzah on May 29 when he controversially declared that law enforcers were prepared to make more arrests against undocumented migrants found flouting SOP in the two-week-long lockdown.

This drew much bipartisan criticism towards the home minister, raising fears that Hamzah’s actions may jeopardise the success of Malaysia’s race to herd immunity.

Lim also questioned Hamzah's decision to reject calls for United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees representatives to be given access to immigration detention depots.

“How can Malaysia square its international commitments when on the one hand, Muhyiddin condemned the ‘lethal violence’ of the Myanmar military against unarmed civilians, while on the other, Hamzah opposes access to our immigration depots by the UN organisation?” he asked. - Mkini