Hand out further RM500 mil, other aid for MCO, Anwar tells govt

KUALA LUMPUR – Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged the government to immediately announce a further RM500 million in financial assistance, as well as other aid in form of subsidy programmes for the next two weeks.
He said the move is especially necessary for businesses that will be directly impacted by the upcoming 14-day movement control order (MCO).
Following Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's announcement today on the imposition of the MCO starting Wednesday, Anwar also called on the government to direct banks to immediately reinstate loan moratoriums until further notice.
“These actions must be taken immediately,” the PKR president said in a statement. 
Muhyiddin announced the MCO order for Penang, Federal Teritories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan), Selangor, Melaka, Johor and Sabah, while a conditional MCO will be imposed in Pahang, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan. 
Perlis and Sarawak will come under the recovery MCO. These orders will be implemented for two weeks until January 26.
Anwar said the latest restrictions will have a further impact on businesses and economic activity, which have yet to recover from the slew of restrictions that have been in place since March 2020. 
“Many businesses, especially the SMEs, have yet to receive wage subsidies and will not be able to survive the protracted impact of the pandemic,” he said. “These restrictions will only serve as a tipping point to those businesses that are on the verge of shutting down.
“Many will lose their jobs. Many will be thrown into further despair and poverty,” he added.
He therefore urged the government to be open about the financial and economic reality of the country and how funds are being channeled to those that need them the most.
Anwar also pointed to Muhyiddin’s remarks on the country’s healthcare system reaching a breaking point.
“Our healthcare system is being heavily challenged and the stricter measures announced today are urgently needed to provide a reprieve for our frontliners,” he said. 
“I urge that the government be unbiased in the strict enforcement of the SOPs, regardless of rank, position or political affiliation.” 
Anwar said the aftermath of the Sabah state election in September 2020, which saw the spread of the virus escalating including among VIPs, has shown that it does not exempt or discriminate against anyone regardless of circumstances and affiliations.
The Port Dickson MP said the measures are not an end to itself, and the government needs to look into longer term and more effective measures to curb the pandemic – such as mass testing with pooled testing, and more effective contact tracing than the MySejahtera application.
“I also urge the government to be transparent with the data and help all parties to understand where the true hotspots are, specifically when it involves clusters of foreign workers,” he said. “The Ministry of Health has said that it is studying pooled testing but there are still no guidelines on it.”
“Other countries have already proven that these measures are more effective to curb the spread than lockdown measures on its own. Again, let me reiterate that transparency is essential.” –  The Vibes, January 11, 2021