KUALA LUMPUR – The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government’s heavy handedness in dealing with criticism is a sign that the administration is run by “gangsters”.
This indictment by opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim comes after a salesman was arrested Friday for his tweet on the RM70 million digital system and website of the vaccine roll-out plan.
Yesterday, Batu MP P. Prabakaran was hauled up by police following a press conference where he addressed the harassment of several passengers from India who were quarantined at Hotel Istana but could not pay the additional charges when their quarantine period was extended by seven days to 21 days.
“Anyone who criticises the government, they are detained. What is this? A country run by samseng (gangsters).
“They use the proclamation of emergency not to run the country well, but to torture the people.
“Deaths (from Covid-19) are increasing. Patients in the intensive care units are increasing. Positive Covid-19 cases are up, but testing is low,” he said through a special address on the party’s Facebook page today.
He said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration has failed the rakyat in handling and controlling the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
The PKR president said it appears that the government does not have the capability to help lessen the burden of the people and Muhyiddin has lost direction in governing the country.
Hence, he said, opposition parties must work together to save the country, which he said is on the brink of collapse due to the pandemic.
“Opposition parties must work together to save the country. The country cannot be in a mess.
“The captain of the ship has lost his direction and the ship has drifted away,” he said in his 40-minute address.
Ready to work with ‘enemies’
To this end, Anwar did not dismiss the possibility of even working with his “enemies”.
“Other than allies in Pakatan Harapan (PH), PKR must be open-minded in accepting cooperation with opposition parties.
“However, we will not agree if they try to seize power or continue with cronyism practices.
“We are open to work together with those we consider as enemies in the past, and we have worked with those enemies before this,” he said.
The PH government was toppled by PN via the Sheraton Move early last year and caused the breakup of the PH alliance, which included Warisan and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
Mahathir has since launched a new party, Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) and recently expressed that his party will not be working with PH ahead of the next election as the opposition coalition is seen as a political baggage.
Instead, he would prefer to work with Warisan, which is led by Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, and Muda, which is fronted by Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman. – The Vibes June 6, 2021
