KUALA LUMPUR – The government must lift the nationwide emergency order with immediate effect after its implementation has proven to have failed, going by the recent spike in Covid-19 cases, said Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) presidential council.
In a statement today, the council said this view has been expressed to the special independent committee to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the emergency via its three representatives.
“Since the emergency took effect on January 11, and despite being given absolute power, evidence and data have shown that the emergency has failed to curb the spread of Covid-19.
“The council has stressed through PH’s representatives in the special committee that not only does the emergency not need to be extended beyond August 1, but it must cease immediately.
“Parliament must reconvene to restore democracy,” read the statement, which was jointly signed by PKR’s Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah’s Mohamad Sabu and DAP’s Lim Guan Eng.
The presidential council said if the special committee on emergency continues to remain quiet, this would raise the question of the role and function of PH representatives in the committee.
“Is our representatives’ presence there merely to act as a ‘face mask’ over the use of (the government’s) emergency powers, which sidelines Parliament?”
The statement comes amid record Covid-19 cases being logged over the past week in the country, which has seen more than 7,000 new daily infections and over 60 deaths per day in the past three days.
Today, the country again broke the record for highest daily infections with 7,857 cases, of which Selangor has 2,675.
Describing the emergency as the government’s political self-lockdown, PH presidential council said the move is clearly to safeguard Perikatan Nasional’s position in Parliament.
PH added that the move has only aggravated the pandemic in the country, particularly with the suspension of Parliament, and urged all MPs to stand united in demanding that the House reconvenes.
The council also urged for vaccinations to be expedited, particularly after the government approved the use of RM5 billion from the National Trust Fund (KWAP).
“We also urge the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) to hasten approval of the Sinopharm, Sputnik V and Moderna vaccines so that we can achieve herd immunity quicker.
“This is considering that Sinopharm has been given approval by the World Health Organisation, and Sputnik V and Moderna have begun rolling out in other countries.”
The council said the strategy to address Covid-19 now needs a realignment, adding that various related PH committees have been told to immediately study policies needed to contain the virus in the country. – The Vibes, May 27, 2021
