KOTA KINABALU – The federal government has failed over and over again to handle the Covid-19 pandemic, said former Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
Not only has poor coordination with industries resulted in business losses, contradicting government statements on policies have confused the people and proves Putrajaya’s handling of the Covid-19 is disorganised, he said.
“There are just to many failures... recently, I read in the news that thousands of drivers were not able to enter Kelantan.
“The government should know that the Hari Raya holidays are coming and they should have made preparations early to deal such eventualities,” said Shafie.
Speaking via Zoom to reporters today, Shafie said the government should also widen access to vaccines for the people.
The Warisan president said Covid-19 vaccines, such as the Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sinovac doses, should be as accessible as Panadol.
“If the vaccines are safe, like Panadol, just allow commercial parties to sell them. If it is already safe for consumption, why should the government control them?”
Shafie said he was also worried about the way the government is running day-to-day affairs.
He expressed concern about the government’s plans to sell off assets belonging to GLCs to raise funds, saying such moves are not a priority.
“The government should be more worried about ending the pandemic, not doing all of this,” he said.
Shafie was referring to Deputy Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin’s proposal to launch such a public finance initiative in a bid to complete the construction of the Pan-Borneo highway project, which links Sabah, Sarawak and neighbouring Borneo nations, such as Brunei and Indonesia’s Kalimantan.
The GLCs he is believed to be referring to are Perbadanan Nasional Bhd and Petronas, which are set to sell off their property assets.
“This is very disturbing as, while the country is still battling the pandemic, the government is thinking of selling its own assets,” he said.
Shafie also expressed concern over the national debt, such as those that stem from 1Malaysia Develepment Bhd, of which the government had recently announced was still servicing an outstanding debt of RM32.3 billion, with payment dues to the tune of billions of ringgit.
He also said these debts would be a big problem for any government coming to power in the next election. – The Vibes, May 11, 2021
