What ‘total’ lockdown: we could have avoided crisis with proper controls, says Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR – The government could have avoided the economic dilemma the country is facing with the Covid-19 pandemic if it had ensured the lockdowns were truly “total”, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

Pointing to the Malaysian Employers Federation’s (MEF) recent revelation that 100,000 businesses ceased operations since last year to date, he said that its failure had led to massive unemployment.

“Employers lost revenue, workers lost wages. What is their fate now?” he asked in a post on Instagram.

“However, the statements we often hear from the government are sugar-coated.”

The former deputy prime minister’s remarks were accompanied by a screenshot of an article published yesterday by Malay-language daily Kosmo titled “100,000 perniagaan tutup operasi” (100,000 businesses close operations).

In the article, MEF chairman Datuk Syed Hussain Syed Husman J.P. is quoted as saying that 32,000 employers had closed shop, leaving 107,000 out of jobs in 2020 alone.

Syed Hussain also urged the government to allow businesses to reopen so as to avoid more commercial operations from closing, and reduce the mental burden faced by workers and employers.

MEF’s plea comes as the country has of late recorded five-digit figures in daily Covid-19 cases, on some days exceeding the record-breaking 17,000 mark over the past two weeks.

Zahid said the people were forced to bear this dilemma due to the “failure” of the government.

“We are at a loss. If only the government listened to our advice before this. Had they ensured that a ‘total lockdown’ was truly ‘total’, maybe this dilemma could have been avoided.

“As I said before, it (lockdown) is not forever. It is only for until we can successfully isolate and treat those who are infected.”

Zahid added that with a proper lockdown, the government could also help with the people’s livelihoods.

“But what is to be done now that failure has been reached?” he asked. “I pray that all who are affected will overcome the challenges.” – The Vibes, July 28, 2021