KUALA LUMPUR – The opposition may find itself between a rock and a hard place over the offer by the prime minister to allow them to be part of the National Recovery Council (NRC) and Special Committee to Manage Covid-19, said political observers.
Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun told The Vibes that opposition leaders who team up with the government may get the blame should the new administration – led by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob – fail to resolve the health crisis.
“His (Ismail Sabri’s) so-called continuation of policies in combating the pandemic is worrying as they are basically failed policies.
“How do you combat the pandemic when you admit that the policies have failed, but now need some tweaking and will be similarly as disastrous as (the) previous (ones)?”
The newly minted prime minister had extended his offer in his inaugural address yesterday, saying the offer is in line with the Istana Negara wish that the government and opposition put their political differences aside and work together to battle Covid-19, which has led to an economic crisis.
“During the recent audience of party leaders with His Majesty, (the latter) decreed that all of us forget our differences to achieve harmony for the benefit of the public,” said Ismail Sabri.
“All parties should be ready to work together for a term to recreate a harmonious environment. In other words, we must hold tight to the principles of unity.”
However, Oh said should the opposition take up the offer, it may find itself entangled in problems.
“If you are the opposition and you take his bait to join the council and committee, then you will be responsible for the failures of the government. Let me be the first to warn the opposition.
“If you (opposition) refuse, Ismail Sabri will say you are not in the spirit of reconciliation. But if you take up his offer, I presume that he will fail in his efforts and you will share his failures.”
Azmi Hassan, a political observer from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, said opposition members should take part in the NRC and special committee if they are sincere in wanting to combat Covid-19.
“The opposition should accept this offer from the prime minister, but more importantly, it should select the right people who are experts in their fields to help with the pandemic.
“However, Ismail Sabri never mentioned anything about internal politics, the creation of portfolios, and who will fill up cabinet posts.”
The new leader must begin filling in important portfolios, such as health, finance and international trade and industry, he added.
“But political threats and suggestions (on posts) are going to be a huge problem for Ismail Sabri, who is trying to portray that he understands the situation on the ground.
“He is hands-on. He will be on the ground and not rely 100% on his advisers and aides to know the real situation, which is a big difference from the past prime minister.”
Azmi, however, cautioned Ismail Sabri on using the term “herd immunity”, as leaders in the west are abandoning it due to the rise of highly contagious Covid-19 variants.
“We have to be careful when using this term because we do not want to give the wrong impression to citizens after having reached 70% of the population receiving at least one dose.” – The Vibes, August 23, 2021
