KOTA KINABALU – Warisan has opted to stay away from the transformation and political stability memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the opposition and federal government on Monday as it wishes to be the third bloc that serves as checks and balances on the government, said Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (Semporna-Warisan) today.
The Warisan president said while the signing of the MoU is a sign of political maturity, the party remains committed to fighting for the people’s issues, like the pandemic fallout, unemployment and the widening gap between the rich and the poor, among others.
“These matters must be done to restore the people’s trust towards political party leaders that are currently running the country’s affairs.
“Warisan remains committed to fighting for the people’s issues via a bipartisan approach on matters such as the handling and control of Covid-19, unemployment, the widening of the wealth gap and lack of basic amenities,” he said in his parliamentary debate speech today.
The former Sabah chief minister had earlier said that the reason why the country’s political front had resorted to signing the MoU and is now pushing for an anti-hopping law is due to the “greed and lust for power” among elected representatives.
None of these measures would be needed, he said, if MPs were not driven by their own agendas, pointing out that those responsible were playing with “numbers” and had stolen the mandate of the people.
Shafie said while he would support the government’s initiatives, he also questioned whether the signatories to the MoU would take up the responsibility if the government fails to deliver on its pledges.
He said his support included seeing through the implementation of the anti-hopping law and the successful implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
However, he said the implementation of MA63 should no longer be delayed as the federal government and attorney-general are aware of issues surrounding its implementation.
Shafie also said unemployment in the country is not just about the mismatch of jobs, but also the effectiveness of government expenditure in creating jobs and ensuring job retention.
He said while the Perikatan Nasional government has allocated RM530 million under eight economic stimulus packages, the number of jobless people in the country continues to rise.
The country, he said, needs an explanation on where the money is being spent and the number of jobs being created.
He also said that the purchasing power of the people continues to slide and that local graduates are now being hired for jobs meant for SPM-leavers.
“Companies are not just losing their means to retain workers, but are about to close shop due to the pandemic.”
Shafie also expressed his concern over home surveillance measures for Covid-19 patients, saying that medical attention and equipment are not available to them if they are at home.
“Patients are also a risk to their own community and can infect their own family members if they self-quarantine at home,” he said.
Currently, 82.6% or 186,094 of 225,277 active cases in Malaysia are undergoing home surveillance. – The Vibes, September 15, 2021
