LANGKAWI – Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has warned that many people will die due to Covid-19 if a general election is called at this stage.
The founder of the new Pejuang party, who is also Langkawi MP, told reporters this at his constituency service centre on the resort island today.
As a qualified medical doctor, the 95-year-old used to treat patients in Langkawi in the 1950s and 1960s.
He urged the government to think carefully if it is worthwhile to conduct an election in the midst of the global pandemic.
"They need to ask themselves if people's lives are more important than politics. I am convinced that an election may increase the spread of Covid-19 and more lives would be lost," he said.
Speculations are rife that a snap election will be called following PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's announcement that he has majority support from among MPs to replace the government of current prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Using Sabah as an example, Mahathir said Covid-19 cases in the east Malaysian state have quadrupled while campaigning was taking place for the state election today.
"In the past, there was only one case. It has shot up within 24 hours to exceed the 100 mark," he said.
Mahathir said that it is difficult to contain the outbreak because the virus can spread easily in crowds, especially in large gatherings where it is hard to enforce physical distancing.
"I am not saying that elections cause a rise in Covid-19 cases as there is no research on this matter," he said.
He stressed however that there seems to be a correlation between the rise in cases with the timing of the state election. "The figures are indisputable," he said.
According to reports, as of Friday Sabah had recorded 1,483 infections with 732 people recovering and 11 dying - The Vibes, September 26, 2020.
