KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob should call for fresh elections if he cannot manage the economy, said Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
In a Facebook post, Muhyiddin, who is also the chairman of the National Recovery Council (MPN), said he was concerned over the government’s lack of a comprehensive solution to lift the country out of its economic doldrums.
Noting that Ismail Sabri is under pressure from Barisan Nasional (BN) to hold elections immediately, Muhyiddin said he is not at BN’s level of pressuring the prime minister to dissolve parliament now.
“But I also think that if the prime minister continues to fail to manage the economy and the country well, then it is better for an election to be held so that a new government that is more efficient, caring and free from corruption can be elected by the people,” the former prime minister said.
Muhyiddin, who preceded Ismail Sabri, also vented his frustrations over the latter’s inability to effectively tackle rising inflation, a stagnated domestic economy, food insecurity, depreciation of the ringgit and labour shortages, among other issues.
“At every MPN meeting, the issue of labour shortage is often discussed and reported to the cabinet. But so far there has not been any comprehensive resolution on the matter.
“The issue of the depreciating ringgit is also not viewed seriously. The prime minister has not given detailed steps by the government to resolve the depreciation of the ringgit, and in fact calls it a minor issue.
“Supposedly. Malaysia is not in crisis, as if everything is okay,” Muhyiddin added.
He noted that Malaysia spent over RM63 billion on food imports last year, and the country’s food import bill is likely to be higher due to the weak ringgit.
“Is this okay? No, it is not okay.” – The Vibes, September 19, 2022
