Muhyiddin to PM: Call for election if you can't manage economy

 

Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin has joined the bandwagon to pressure Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to call for the general election.

This comes amid calls by BN, the PM's coalition, for Parliament to be dissolved.

Although he claims not to be pushing Ismail Sabri, Muhyiddin said it is perhaps best for the election to take place if the economy cannot be better managed.

"I have not come to a point of wanting to pressure the prime minister to dissolve Parliament.

"But I too am of the thought that if the prime minister continues to fail to properly manage the economy and nation, it is best for a general election to be called so a new, more efficient, caring and corruption-free government can be chosen by the people," he said in a statement today.

Muhyiddin added that as chairperson of the National Recovery Council, he is aware of how Malaysians are currently struggling with the depreciating ringgit, rising inflation and post-pandemic economic woes.

He said the poor economic stewardship is likely the reason why only a third of those polled are satisfied with Ismail Sabri's performance as PM.

"The issue of depreciating ringgit must be taken seriously. The prime minister is not coming forward to explain the measures taken by the government to curb this slide.

"Instead, it is dismissed as not a big issue. As if Malaysia is not in a crisis. As if everything is okay. I know it is not okay out there.

"Malaysia imports a large portion of food. Last year, our food import bill was RM63 billion. If the ringgit continues to slide, food will be pricier. Is this okay? No, it's not okay," he said.

'No solutions from PM, cabinet'

To show how Malaysians are struggling, Muhyiddin cited a study by the Merdeka Centre in December showing that 12 percent of Malaysians surveyed are skipping meals and delaying medical procedures, while almost a third are late in paying bills.

Another research house, Mindshare, meanwhile, found that more than two-thirds of the nation earn less than RM3,000 a month, amid Covid-19 related economic slowdown, he added.

The former premier said he has made various calls for measures like further loan moratoriums to be extended to help small businesses.

His council has also raised issues of the worker shortage, costing industries like palm oil billions of ringgit in losses, "but to date, there is no comprehensive solution".

Earlier, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin urged plantation owners to introduce better labour management policies and training for both their local and migrant workforce.

Zuraida said the policies should be enforced as part of long-term measures to address the labour shortage that had resulted in projected RM28 billion industry losses this year, up from RM21 billion last year. - Mkini