THE Covid-19 pandemic has caused so much pain, distress and suffering to the man on the street, and it breaks my heart every time I hear or read stories on how the ordinary rakyat are struggling to cope with the crisis.
Every day, more and more businesses, big and small, are closing down. More people are getting laid off. For the many self-employed consultants and contractors, there is hardly any work out there for them. Yet, they have to feed and provide for themselves and their families.
When the pandemic first started, there seemed to be some determination by the government to control the spread of the disease, and to provide the necessary healthcare and treatment needed for the patients concerned. Financial aid was rightly provided. Front-line workers and civil servants are still doing a good job, even now, in providing the needed services.
Over time, and lately, there seems to be a lack of a coordinated and integrated approach in dealing with the crisis, in what appears to be a lack of clear and exemplary leadership by the government. There are also double standards when it comes to enforcement and the penalty meted out; one for the ordinary rakyat, and another for ministers and well-connected people.
Even on the procurement of the much-needed Covid-19 vaccine for our people from overseas, the government has taken the narrow, short-sighted and irresponsible approach of not supporting any genuine private sector initiative, knowing full well that it would cost the government nothing, but would increase the chances of our country getting a workable vaccine when it is ready.
As I have reasons to believe that the prime minister (and his cabinet) no longer commands the support of a majority of the Dewan Rakyat, and has, therefore, lost his legitimacy, I recently wrote to the Dewan Rakyat speaker to treat a “motion of no confidence” as a matter of priority, to be debated and voted on at the earliest possible opportunity. This is in line with the principles of our parliamentary system of democracy, whereby the constitution is supreme and above that of the Standing Orders, and the authority of the House is far above that of a minister. My initiative with the speaker should not be seen as self-serving or that I may have a vested interest in the position of prime minister, but it is to uphold the principles of our parliamentary system.
I am dismayed and shocked that the prime minister (with the support of his cabinet) is now seeking the consent of the Agong to declare a state of emergency, and presumably, to put himself in charge of this emergency administration, which would have far-reaching powers.
I am not questioning the right of any prime minister to seek the declaration of a state of emergency with the Agong as it is stipulated in our constitution, but rather, the basis, rationale, timing and real motive for it. We are now having a public healthcare crisis that is severely impacting the livelihood and economy of our people, and which the government may not be managing in the best interest of the public. The public and politicians across the divide, except for a few recalcitrant ones, are cooperating with the government on the SOPs. Our parliamentary system of democracy is working well, and there are no mass rebellions or riots on our streets. I cannot see any honest basis for such a request, while I can only suspect non-honourable motives behind it.
If the prime minister were to get his way in imposing the proposed state of emergency, as an economist and former finance minister and international trade and industry minister (and former chairman of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund), I can say with some certainty that it may be the “final nail in the coffin” for our already battered economy. Local and foreign investors would shun us completely. Business confidence would be at zero. – The Vibes, October 24, 2020
Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah is Gua Musang MP
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