#kerajaangagal36 – I would have suggested that Form V student Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam should be nominated Senator to articulate the voice of youths in Senate  if this is not barred by the Malaysian Constitution which requires a Senator to be at least  30 years old

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

I  would have suggested that Form V student Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam should be nominated Senator to articulate the voice of youths in Senate  if this is not barred by the Malaysian Constitution which requires a Senator to be at least  30 years old.

The Malaysian Constitution in this regard needs  to be amended to keep abreast with changing times  but this is another story.

It is indeed shocking that there are plans afoot to expel Ain Husniza  from her school, SMK Puncak Alam.  If this is allowed, it would be to the infamy and ignominy of the Education Minister, Radzi Jidin and the Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin.

Have they heard of Greta Thunberg?

For Muhyddin and Radzi’s information, Thunberg is a 18-year-old Swedish environmental activist who is internationally known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation.

This is what Wikipedia said about Thunberg:

“Thunberg’s activism started after persuading her parents to adopt several lifestyle choices to reduce their own carbon footprint. In August 2018, at age 15, she started spending her school days outside the Swedish Parliament to call for stronger action on climate change by holding up a sign reading Skolstrejk för klimatet (School strike for climate).

“Soon other students engaged in similar protests in their own communities. Together they organised a school climate strike movement under the name Fridays for Future.

“After Thunberg addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference, student strikes took place every week somewhere in the world. In 2019, there were multiple coordinated multi-city protests involving over a million students each.

“To avoid flying, Thunberg sailed to North America where she attended the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit. Her speech there, in which she exclaimed ‘how dare you’, was widely taken up by the press and incorporated into music.

“Her sudden rise to world fame has made her both a leader and a target for critics, especially due to her age. Her influence on the world stage has been described by The Guardian and other newspapers as the ‘Greta effect’.

“She received numerous honours and awards, including an honorary Fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, inclusion in Time’s 100 most influential people, being the youngest Time Person of the Year, inclusion in the Forbes list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women (2019), and three consecutive nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize (2019–2021).”

Could Malaysia produce a Greta Thunberg?

The answer is in the negative if Ain Husniza  is expelled for speaking up  against injustices and wrongs perpetrated against students  and campaigning to  make schools a safe place for students.

Radzi has already failed miserably in failing to exercise leadership in both cases of period spot checks and lewd ,jokes by teachers in class  for the past three weeks.

If Ain Husniza is expelled, it would be a grave dishonour to Radzi and the Prime Minister as the government  would have failed to provide children with quality education in a safe environment of learning that actively promotes values of respect for all persons and non-violence.

Already, Ain Husniza’s case has been complicated by repulsive comments on the Facebook purportedly by her own principal, describing her as “anak setan”.

I had wanted to suggest that Ain Husniza should be nominated a Senator  so that she could inform the Senate and the nation about the aspirations of the young people in Malaysia until I am reminded of  Article 47 (a) of the Malaysian Constitution  which requires a Senator  to be “not less than 30 years old”.

According to available statistics, over 43% or about 14 million Malaysians are below 25 years of age. It would be good for the Senate and the nation to hear from

Ain Husniza on the aspirations and concerns of Malaysians below 25 years.

It  is a most ludicrous situation that a 18-year-old Malaysian can stand for election as a Member of Parliament in the Dewan Rakyat, and  to cast his or her vote in general  elections, but if below 30 years of age,  he or she cannot be a member of the Senate.

President Biden has just appointed 18-year-old climate change activist Jerome Foster II, to be a member of his White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, a move which the media has hailed as ”From protestor to climate policy maker”.

It is time that we  give Malaysian  youths of today not only more voice, but more influence and power in public policy formulation and implementation – and the last thing that should happen is the expulsion of Ain Husniza for speaking up against lewd jokes by teachers in class!

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 11th May 2021)

===========================

#kerajaangagal36 — Saya akan mencadangkan supaya pelajar Tingkatan 5 Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam dicalonkan sebagai Senator untuk mewakili suara golongan belia di Dewan Negara sekiranya perkara ini tidak dihalang oleh Perlembagaan Malaysia yang memerlukan seorang Senator untuk berumur sekurang-kurangnya 30 tahun

Saya akan mencadangkan supaya pelajar Tingkatan 5 Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam dicalonkan sebagai Senator untuk mewakili suara golongan belia di Dewan Negara sekiranya perkara ini tidak dihalang oleh Perlembagaan Malaysia yang memerlukan seorang Senator untuk berumur sekurang-kurangnya 30 tahun.

Dalam perkara ini, Perlembagaan Persekutuan perlu dipinda untuk mengikuti perubahan zaman, tetapi perkara ini adalah cerita lain yang memerlukan masanya sendiri.

Amat mengejutkan bahawa terdapat rancangan untuk membuang Ain Husniza dari sekolahnya, SMK Puncak Alam. Sekiranya perkara ini berlaku,ia adalah satu perkara yang amat memalukan Menteri Pendidikan, Radzi Jidin dan Perdana Menteri, Muhyiddin Yassin.

Adakah mereka pernah mendengar tentang Greta Thunberg?

Untuk makluman Muhyddin dan Radzi, Thunberg adalah seorang aktivis alam sekitar Sweden berusia 18 tahun yang terkenal di peringkat antarabangsa kerana mencabar pemimpin dunia untuk mengambil tindakan segera untuk mengurangkan kesan perubahan iklim.

Inilah yang dikatakan oleh Wikipedia mengenai Thunberg:

“Aktivisme Thunberg bermula selepas beliau meyakinkan orang tuanya untuk mengubah beberapa pilihan gaya hidup untuk mengurangkan kesan karbon mereka sendiri. Pada bulan Ogos 2018, pada usia 15 tahun, beliau mula meluangkan hari persekolahannya di luar Parlimen Sweden untuk menggesa tindakan yang lebih proaktif terhadap perubahan iklim dengan mengangkat tanda membaca Skolstrejk för klimatet (Mogok sekolah untuk iklim).

“Tidak lama kemudian pelajar lain turut melakukan tunjuk perasaan yang serupa di komuniti mereka sendiri. Bersama-sama mereka menganjurkan gerakan mogok iklim sekolah dengan nama Fridays for Future.

“Selepas Thunberg memberikan ucapan pada Persidangan Perubahan Iklim Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu 2018, mogok pelajar berlaku setiap minggu di sesuatu tempat di dunia. Pada tahun 2019, terdapat banyak tunjuk perasaan di pelbagai bandar yang diselaraskan yang melibatkan lebih dari satu juta pelajar.

“Untuk mengelakkan perjalanan melalui kapal terbang, Thunberg berlayar ke Amerika Utara di mana beliau menghadiri Sidang Kemuncak Tindakan Iklim PBB 2019. Pidatonya di sana, diterima baik oleh media malah dimasukkan ke dalam muzik.

“Kemunculannya secara tiba-tiba menjadi terkenal di dunia telah menjadikan beliau sebagai seorang pemimpin dan juga sasaran pengkritik, terutamanya kerana usianya. Pengaruhnya di pentas dunia telah digambarkan oleh The Guardian dan akhbar lain sebagai ‘kesan Greta’.

“Beliau telah menerima banyak penghormatan dan penghargaan, termasuklah dilantik sebagai Felo Kehormat Royal Scottish Geographical Society, tergolong dalam 100 individu paling berpengaruh Time, menjadi Time Person of the Year termuda tahun ini, tergolong dalam senarai 100 Wanita Paling Berpengaruh di Dunia Forbes (2019 , dan tiga pencalonan berturut-turut untuk Hadiah Nobel Keamanan (2019–2021). ”

Bolehkah Malaysia menghasilkan Greta Thunberg kita?

Jawapannya adalah tidak, jika Ain Husniza diusir kerana bersuara menentang ketidakadilan dan kesalahan yang dilakukan terhadap pelajar dan berkempen untuk menjadikan sekolah sebagai tempat yang selamat untuk pelajar.

Radzi telah gagal dengan teruk untuk menunjukkan kepimpinan dalam kedua-dua kes pemeriksaan mengejut kitaran haid dan lawak lucah yang dilakukan oleh guru dalam bilik darjah yang timbul dalam tiga minggu yang lepas ini.

Sekiranya Ain Husniza dibuang sekolah, perkara ini akan menjadi satu penghinaan besar terhadap Radzi dan Perdana Menteri kerana kegagalan mereka untuk memastikan para pelajar menerima pendidikan yang berkualiti dalam suasana yang selamat yang menggalakkan nilai-nilai saling menghormati kepada semua insan.

Sekarang pun, kes Ain Husniza telah ditambah berat dengan komen menjijikkan di Facebook terhadapnya, yang didakwa datang daripada pengetua sekolah beliau sendiri yang menggambarkan beliau sebagai “anak setan”.

Saya ingin mencadangkan agar Ain Husniza dicalonkan sebagai Senator supaya beliau dapat menyampaikan aspirasi golongan muda dalam negara kepada Dewan Negara dan seluruh negara, namun saya teringat kepada Perkara 47(a) Perlembagaan yang memerlukan Senator untuk berusia “tidak kurang dari 30 tahun”.

Menurut statistik yang ada, lebih daripada 43% atau sekitar 14 juta rakyat Malaysia berumur di bawah 25 tahun. Adalah baik bagi Dewan Negara dan negara kita untuk mendengari aspirasi dan kebimbangan golongan muda dalam negara.

Menjadi satu keadaan yang sangat tidak masuk akal apabila seorang rakyat Malaysia yang berusia 18 tahun boleh bertanding sebagai calon Ahli Dewan Rakyat, dan mengundi, tetapi sekiranya beliau berusia di bawah 30 tahun, beliau tidak layak menjadi Ahli Dewan Negara.

Presiden Biden baru saja melantik aktivis perubahan iklim berusia 18 tahun, Jerome Foster II, untuk menjadi anggota Majlis Penasihat Keadilan Alam Sekitar kerajaannya, suatu langkah yang disambut oleh media sebagai “dari seorang penunjuk perasaan kepada perangka dasar iklim”.

Sudah tiba masanya kita memberi belia di Malaysia hari ini bukan hanya lebih banyak ruang bersuara, tetapi lebih banyak pengaruh dan kekuatan dalam perumusan dan pelaksanaan dasar awam — dan perkara terakhir yang perlu berlaku adalah pengusiran Ain Husniza dari sekolah beliau kerana bersuara melawan lawak lucah oleh guru dalam bilik darjah!

(Kenyataan media (2) Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Selasa, 11 Mei 2021)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 11 May 2021, 11:14 am and is filed under
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#kerajaangagal37 – Malaysia failed in  “proof in the pudding” test in its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

With a cumulative total of 448,457 cases, and a daily increase of 3,978 cases, we are ranked No. 42 among nations in the world with the most number of Covid-19 cases.

Nepal, now ranked No. 44 with a cumulative total of 413,411 cases with a  daily increase of 9,317 new Covid-19 cases,   is set to overtake us, but we are set to overtake Morocco, Lebanon and UAE to be ranked No. 40 with the most  Covid-19 cases in the world.

In East Asia, ASEAN and Pacific, we only lost to Indonesia, Philippines and Japan.

It is mortal shame for Malaysia when the Indonesian authorities cited  Malaysia in the same breath as  India as examples to avoid in the Covid-19 pandemic in their warning to Indonesian citizens to stay at home and to take precautions on Covid-19 in the forthcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays.

Is there any basis for Indonesia to give such a warning citing Malaysia?

I can think of only one instance – the rate of national vaccination campaign in each country.

In Indonesia, 3.2%  of the population have been fully vaccinated, while 5.0% of the population had been given one dose achieving a daily rate of 260,112 doses of vaccine administered while in Malaysia, only 2.1% of the population had been fully vaccinated while 3.3 % of the population had been given one dose, achieving a daily rate of 42,968 doses administered.

Putrajaya had initially aimed to vaccinate up to 75,000 people daily under the national Covid-19 immunisation programme, but it had fallen far short of this  target.

Why?

This is further argument why Khairy Jamaluddin, the Minister in charge of vaccines, should accelerate the national vaccination campaign.

It is utterly ludicrous for the Senior Defence Minister, Ismail Sabri, when he tried to defend the indefensible about the flip-flop SOPs, claiming that the government needed to constantly adapt the SOPs to the latest developments of the Covid-19 situation in the country.

Ismail should have known of the saying “the proof is in the pudding”. When emergency was declared to combat the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia on January 12, 2021, the daily increase of new Covid-19 cases was 3,309 cases and four deaths. Some four months later on May 11, it recorded a daily increase of 3,973 new Covid-19 cases and 22 deaths.

On January 12, 2021,  the cumulative total of Covid-19 cases for the past 12 months was 141, 533 cases. In the four months since the emergency, the cumulative total of Covid-19 more than tripled to 448,457 cases and the cumulative total of fatalities more than tripled from 559 deaths to 1,722 deaths.

It is clear that  the Malaysian government has failed in  “the proof is in the pudding” test.

What has the “need to constantly adapt the SOPs to the latest developments of the Covid-19 situation in the country” to do with the most unscientific decision to ban outdoor exercises and non-contact sports  under MCO 3.0.

Even the infectious diseases expert Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, who was recently inducted into the World Health Organisation’s Science Council, reacted instantly and  pointed out  that the risk of contracting Covid-19 outdoors was about 18 times lower than indoors?

Or the most flawed decision to use the  Hotspots Identification for Dynamic Engagement (Hide) system to close down shopping malls and supermarkets.

The HIDE system predicts potential new hotspots for the next seven days based on data collected by the MySejahtera mobile application but  its ”blindspots” caused it to highlight the major shopping malls and supermarkets but not factories and construction sites – when historical data showed that  shopping malls contributed to less than five percent of the Covid-19 clusters, as opposed to factories (48 percent) and construction (11.6 percent).

Ismail Sabri should be reminded that nothing could be more pathetic and reprehensible than to try to defend the indefensible when a lousy job had been done with unbelievable incompetence and ignorance.

Malaysians have been the victims of two catastrophes – one natural, the Covid-19 pandemic; and the other man-made, the mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The complacency displayed by the Finance Minister, Tengku Zafrul Aziz that the implementation of the third movement control order is not expected to have a significant impact on the country’s economic growth as almost all economic sectors are allowed to remain operational is most shocking.

It would be better for Zafrul to provide immediate assistance to families who have been living on the edge for over a year as without help under the MCO 3.0,  the poor would fail to cope under the compounded effects of reduced income, school closures and psychological pressures.

Is Zafrul aware of a survey by DM Analytics Malaysia for Unicef and UNFPA that found about four in 10 urban poor families had dipped into their savings to survive, despite having already received government assistance like the Bantuan Prihatin Nasional (BPN).

When is the government giving aid of these urban poor under  MCO 3.0?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, May 12, 2021)

==========================

#kerajaangagal37 — Malaysia telah gagal mengawal pandemik Covid-19

Dengan jumlah kumulatif kes positif Covid-19 sebanyak 448,457 kes, dan peningkatan harian kes baharu Covid-19 sebanyak 3,978 kes, kita berada di kedudukan ke-42 antara negara dengan kes positif Covid-19 tertinggi di dunia.

Nepal, yang kini berada di kedudukan ke-44 dengan jumlah kumulatif kes positif Covid-19 sebanyak 413,411 kes dengan peningkatan harian kes Covid-19 sebanyak 9,317 kes, sedang memintas kita. Tetapi dalam masa yang sama, kita juga sedang memintas Maghribi, Lubnan dan Emiriah Arab Bersatu untuk berada di kedudukan ke-40 dengan kes positif Covid-19 tertinggi di dunia.

Di Asia Timur, ASEAN dan Asia Pasifik, kita hanya tewas kepada Indonesia, Filipina dan Jepun.

Amat memalukan untuk Malaysia apabila pihak berkuasa Indonesia menyamakan Malaysia dengan India sebagai contoh kegagalan menguruskan Covid-19, sambil memberi amaran kepada rakyatnya untuk kekal berada di rumah dan mengambil langkah-langkah pencegahan bagi mengelakkan diri daripada dijangkiti wabak tersebut menjelang sambutan Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Apakah sebab untuk Indonesia membuat amaran seumpama itu dengan memetik nama Malaysia?

Saya cuma boleh terfikir satu sebab iaitu kadar pemberian suntikan vaksin di setiap negara.

Di Indonesia, 3.2% rakyatnya telah diberikan suntikan vaksin sepenuhnya, sementara 5.0% rakyatnya telah diberikan satu suntikan vaksin dengan kadar harian suntikan vaksin sebanyak 260,112 dos, sementara Malaysia, hanya 2.1% dari penduduknya telah diberikan suntikan vaksin sepenuhnya, sementara 3.3% penduduknya telah diberikan satu suntikan vaksin dengan kadar harian suntikan vaksin sebanyak 42,968 dos.

Putrajaya pada awalnya menyasarkan untuk memberikan suntikan vaksin kepada 75,000 orang sehari di bawah program imunisasi Covid-19 kebangsaaan, namun tersasar daripada sasaran itu.

Mengapa?

Ini sebabnya mengapa Khairy Jamaluddin yang merupakan menteri yang bertanggungjawab bagi menguruskan vaksin, perlu mempergiat dan mempercepatkan lagi kempen imunisasi Covid-19 kebangsaan.

Amat tidak munasabah untuk Menteri Kanan, Ismail Sabri, mempertahankan pengumuman SOP yang berubah dari masa ke semasa, dengan memberi alasan kononnya kerajaan perlu membuat penyesuaian berdasarkan keadaan semasa.

Apabila darurat diisytiharkan bagi melawan pandemik Covid-19 di Malaysia pada 12 Januari 2021, peningkatan harian kes baharu Covid-19 adalah sebanyak 3,309 kes dengan empat kematian. Kira-kira empat bulan kemudian pada 11 Mei, negara merekodkan peningkatan harian kes baharu Covid-19 sebanyak 3,973 kes dengan 22 kematian.

Pada 12 Januari 2021, jumlah kumulatif kes positif Covid-19 untuk 12 bulan sebelumnya adalah sebanyak 141,553. Dalam tempoh empat bulan sejak pengisytiharan darurat, jumlah kumulatif kes positif Covid-19 meningkat lebih tiga kali ganda kepada 448,457 kes dan jumlah kumulatif kematian meningkat dari 559 kepada 1,722 kematian.

Adalah jelas bahawa kerajaan Malaysia telah gagal untuk membendung wabak ini.

Apakah kaitan kenyataan “kerajaan perlu membuat penyesuaian berdasarkan keadaan semasa” dengan keputusan tidak saintifik untuk melarang aktiviti senaman di luar dan sukan tanpa sentuhan di bawah PKP 3.0.

Malah, pakar penyakit berjangkit, Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, yang baru-baru ini dilantik untuk menjadi anggota Majlis Sains Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO), memberi reaksi pantas dan menunjukkan bahawa risiko dijangkiti Covid-19 di kawasan terbuka 18 kali ganda lebih rendah berbanding di tempat tertutup.

Atau keputusan yang paling cacat untuk menggunakan sistem Hotspot Identification for Dynamic Engagement (HIDE) untuk menutup pusat membeli-belah dan pasar raya. Sistem HIDE meramalkan potensi titik panas baru selama tujuh hari mendatang berdasarkan data yang dikumpulkan oleh aplikasi mudah alih MySejahtera tetapi “blindspots” menyebabkannya hanya pusat membeli-belah dan pasar raya utama diletakkan sebagai berisiko tetapi tidak kilang dan tapak pembinaan – apabila data menunjukkan bahawa pusat membeli-belah menyumbang kurang dari lima peratus kluster Covid-19, berbanding kilang (48 peratus) dan tapak pembinaan (11.6 peratus).

Ismail Sabri harus diingatkan bahawa tidak ada yang lebih menyedihkan dan keji daripada berusaha mempertahankan yang tidak dapat dipertahankan ketika kerja yang caca-marba telah dilakukan dengan ketidakcekapan dan kebodohan yang luar biasa.

Rakyat Malaysia telah menjadi mangsa dua bencana – satu yang semula jadi, wabak Covid-19; dan yang satu lagi buatan manusia, kegagalan mengawal pandemik Covid-19.

Menteri Kewangan, Tengku Zafrul Aziz berkata pelaksanaan perintah kawalan pergerakan ketiga tidak akan memberi kesan yang signifikan terhadap pertumbuhan ekonomi negara kerana hampir semua sektor ekonomi dibenarkan beroperasi.

Adalah lebih baik bagi Zafrul untuk memberikan bantuan segera kepada keluarga yang tinggal di pinggir bandar selama lebih dari setahun tanpa bantuan di bawah PKP 3.0, orang miskin akan gagal mengatasi kesan buruk akibat hilang pendapatan, penutupan sekolah dan tekanan psikologi.

Adakah Zafrul menyedari tinjauan oleh DM Analytics Malaysia untuk Unicef dan UNFPA yang mendapati kira-kira empat dari 10 keluarga miskin bandar telah menghabiskan simpanan mereka untuk terus hidup, walaupun telah mendapat bantuan kerajaan seperti Bantuan Prihatin Nasional (BPN).

Bilakah kerajaan akan memberikan bantuan kepada golongan miskin bandar di bawah PKP 3.0?

(Kenyataan media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Rabu, 12 Mei 2021)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 12 May 2021, 7:45 am and is filed under
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#kerajaangagal38 – Hadi should come to his senses instead of becoming  a new champion of a failed emergency to combat the Covid-19 pandemic

Why has the PAS President, Hadi Awang, emerged as a new champion of a failed emergency to combat the Covid-19 pandemic?

He appeared not to have minded that Malaysia had tumbled in international performance in handling  the Covid-19 pandemic, to an extent that the Indonesian government had cited Malaysia in the same breath as India in its warning to Indonesians  to stay home and to take precautions on Covid-19 in the forthcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays.

I find it most  shocking the spectacle of  a leader of a political party in government coalition  who appears to relish the downgrading of Malaysia’s international status, lower than Indonesia, a country which Malaysia had always prided as superior  in terms  of public health competence, services and infrastructure development.

I find it not only completely unacceptable but incomprehensible why Hadi has come out to champion  a failed emergency and even went so far as to label the critics of the government’s poor performance in handling the Covid-19 pandemic as “disruptors”.

This is  reminiscent of his recent statement which likened those who oppose the emergency as “political extremists worse than religious extremists that had detonated bombs and killed their victims in smaller numbers as compared to the victims of the Covid-19 pandemic which had now spread across the world”.

Rational and reasonable Malaysians are  utterly shocked by such outlandish thinking and logic.

Let me  tell Hadi  that he is completely wrong in equating the critics of Muhyiddin’s emergency rule as akin to bombers, assassins,  killers and somehow having blood in their hands for being responsible for the 1,722 Covid-19 fatalities in Malaysia or the more than 3.3 million Covid-19 fatalities in the world.

The critics of the failed emergency to combat Covid-19 pandemic, regardless of race, religion or region, whether they are Ramadan bazaar operators, SME workers or ordinary Malaysians, are  all Malaysian patriots who have nothing to do with the death of the 1,722 who have died of Covid-19  in Malaysia or the more than 3.3 million people who ha died  in the world.

They are all humanists who  want the  ravages and destruction to life and livelihoods by the Covid-19 pandemic to end immediately.

Hadi has committed a great slander and a grave injustice  to cast the critics of the emergency as  Satan-like characters who thirst for death and destruction when it is the very opposite – they  want efficient, competent and sensitive handling of the Covid-19 pandemic so that it could be ended as soon as possible for life to return to normality.

The defenders of the failed  emergency can continue to do so, but do not spit fire and brimstone to falsely cast the critics of the emergency in a devilish light. This is in fact fake news. Will Hadi be prosecuted under the fake news emergency ordinance?

It is also not open to the defenders of the failed emergency to declare that the emergency has given them powers to deal with a worsening Covid-19 situation.

The emergency was declared on January 12 to bring the Covid-19 pandemic, which had on that day recorded a daily increase of 3,309  new Covid-19 cases, four deaths and a cumulative total of 141,533 cases,  under control. Yesterday, there was a daily increase  3,978 new Covid-19 cases, 22 deaths and a cumulative total of 448,457 cases had been recorded.

Hadi cannot see that the emergency of Jan. 12 had failed when even the most illiterate and innumerate would know that the emergency declared on January 12 to combat the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has failed?

The emergency and suspension of Parliament and the State Assemblies declared on January 12, 2021 was completely unnecessary. What was important and  necessary was to spearhead an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” national mobilisation against Covid-19 pandemic, which Parliament, if not suspended, would be most qualified to do.

I would urge Hadi to come to his senses and join the critics of the emergency to call for an immediate end of the failed  emergency if January 12  and the convening of Parliament and the various State Assemblies to spearhead a national mobilisation against Covid-19 pandemic.

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday May 12, 2021)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 12 May 2021, 2:09 pm and is filed under
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#kerajaangagal39 – Yesterday’s daily increase of 4,765 new Covid-19 cases and an  all-time high of 39 deaths is latest proof that the emergency  is a failure to bring the nine-month long  third Covid-19 wave in Malaysia under control and Malaysia is fighting a losing battle against Covid-19 pandemic with deadly variants

Yesterday’s daily increase of 4,765 new Covid-19 cases and an  all-time high of 39 deaths is latest proof that the emergency  is a failure to bring the nine-month long  third Covid-19 wave in Malaysia under control and that Malaysia is fighting a losing battle against Covid-19 pandemic with deadly variants.

It also validates the warning by the Indonesian government to Indonesians  citing  Malaysia in the same breath as India as countries which Indonesia should not emulate  and to stay home and to take precautions on Covid-19 in the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays.

Malaysia declared emergency  on January 12 to combat  the Covid-19 pandemic, which had on that day recorded a daily increase of 3,309  new Covid-19 cases, four deaths and a cumulative total of 141,533 cases.

Yesterday, there was a daily increase  4,765  new Covid-19 cases, 39 deaths and a cumulative total of 453,22 cases had been recorded.

If this is not a failure, I do not know what failure is!

Yet we have political leaders like the PAS  President, Hadi Awang, who have come out to champion  a failed emergency and even gone so far as to label the critics of the government’s poor performance in mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic as “disruptors”.

This is  reminiscent of Hadi’s  recent statement which likened those who oppose the emergency as “political extremists worse than religious extremists that had detonated bombs and killed their victims in smaller numbers as compared to the victims of the Covid-19 pandemic which had now spread across the world”.

It is time that all political leaders including Hadi  come to their senses and accept that the millions of Malaysians who condemn or dissociate themselves from  the government’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic are not “disruptors” or “enemies of Malaysia” but patriotic Malaysians who want the  ravages and destruction to life and livelihoods by the Covid-19 pandemic to end immediately so that life can return to normal like  before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Whether they are Ramadan bazaar operators, SME owners  and their workers, or ordinary Malaysians, they are decent, peace-loving Malaysians and not bombers, assassins,  killers who  having blood on  their hands for being responsible for the 1,761 Covid-19 fatalities in Malaysia or the more than 3.43 million Covid-19 fatalities in the world.

It is irresponsible politicians like former United President  Donald Trump, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and their local counterparts who have blood on their hands for failing to adopt competent, efficient, effective and  sensitive measures to bring the Covid-19 pandemic under control.

There are at least three reasons why Indonesia can cite Malaysia as a country to avoid  the mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic:

1.     Malaysia has a higher “Cases per 1 million” index than Indonesia – Indonesia 6,262 to Malaysia’s 13,551.

2.     Indonesia has been quite successful in bring the first Covid-19 wave under control, from  the peak of daily increase of 14,518 new Covid-19 cases  on January 30 to 4,608 cases yesterday; while Malaysia’s 4,765 daily increase of new Covid-19 cases yesterday  is the highest recorded in over three months and the third highest recorded daily increase – less  than 1,000 cases than the peak reached on January 30 with 5,728 cases.

3.     In Indonesia, 3.3%  of the population have been fully vaccinated, while 5.1% of the population had been given one dose while in Malaysia, only 2.2% of the population had been fully vaccinated while 3.6 % of the population had been given one dose.

When will Malaysia wake up?

At yesterday’s rate of daily increase, by June 7- the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s birthday and end of the MCO 3.0 – Malaysia would have worsened from the present ranking of No. 42 to No. 39 among nations in the world  with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases, overtaking Morocco, Lebanon and UAE although we will be overtaken by Nepal which is presently experiencing sky-rocketting daily increases of over 9,000 cases.

It is time for all political leaders including Hadi to come to their senses and to focus on a national mobilisation against Covid-19 pandemic, through a “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” strategy and approach,  instead of peddling lies and falsehood to liken critics of the mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic as “disruptors”, “killers” or “assassins”!

(Media Statement by DAP MP for iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Thursday, 13th May 2021)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 13 May 2021, 9:13 am and is filed under
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#kerajaangagal40 – When will Muhyiddin announce a multi-billion ringgit MCO 3.0 economic  stimulus package for the poor and  vulnerable groups in Malaysia?

The Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin made a last-minute decision on Tuesday to impose MCO 3.0 nation-wide from May 12 to June 7, 2021 and in the hurry and flurry, he announced it without the benefit of a  live telecast as was his wont last year when he wanted to make important announcements.

However, the government failed to follow through the  MCO 3.0 decision with a multi-billion ringgit MCO 3.0 economic stimulus plan for  the poor and vulnerable groups in the country.

The question which the Prime Minister and all Cabinet Ministers, as well as leaders of the Perikatan Nasional coalition should be asked,  is when the Prime Minister is going to have a live telecast to announce a multi-billion ringgit MCO 3.0 economic  stimulus package especially for the poor and vulnerable groups in the country.

Is the Finance Minister, Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and his staff working overtime to finalise details of the multi-billion ringgit MCO 3.0 economic stimulus package or there will be no economic stimulus package for the poor and vulnerable groups this time?

This is also the time for the country to express its  appreciation for the dedication and sacrifices of the  frontliners in the Covid-19 pandemic which has lasted for over a year, and  the MCO 3.0 economic stimulus package is an apt occasion for expressing such a special appreciation to the frontliners.

The Director-General of Health, Noor Hisham Abdullah made a  very touching “battle cry” to the frontliners when he visited the Health Ministry personnel at Hospital Putrajaya today, the first day of Aidilfitri:

“The  war is still on and Health Ministry (MOH) personnel are the last line of defence to break the Covid-19 chain of infection. Let’s battle on and give it our best shot to free the country from this pandemic.”

More than 1,200 people in Malaysia had died of Covid-19 since the declaration of emergency on January 12, 2021, as the cumulative total of Covid-19 deaths on  January 12 was 559. This  has now increased to 1,761 Covid-19 deaths as of yesterday.

The Muhyiddin government has claimed in Parliament last year  that it has made its “utmost priority to protect the lives above all else”.

It has failed in this regard.

I call on  the Muhyiddin Government to make amends and to  announce a multi-billion ringgit  MCO 3. economic stimulus package to save lives and livelihoods of Malaysians, especially the poor and vulnerable groups.

When MCO 1.0 and 2.0 were imposed,  there were  government assistance in the form of  loan moratorium, cash assistance, grants for small businesses and wage subsidies.

Why are such assistance absent now?

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 13th May 2021)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 13 May 2021, 5:39 pm and is filed under
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#kerajaangagal41 – With the third Covid wave in Malaysia becoming more serious  with deadly variants and low vaccination rates, what guarantee is there  that Hari Raya Aidilfitri next year will not be a third consecutive  year where balik kampong will be banned?

The third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, already the longest in the world, has become more serious.

Yesterday, the daily increase of new Covid-19 cases is 4,855 cases  and daily increase of Covid-19 fatalities is 27 deaths – the fourth highest in daily increase of Covid-19 cases and the second highest in daily fatalities since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in January last year.

The Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in his Hari Raya Aidilfitri message said  that he is not a tyrant but justified the restrictions placed on the public during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festive period as necessary to protect the lives of everyone.

He said if customary visits to the homes of friends and relatives were allowed, one would not know if the guests had Covid-19 or not.

He said; “… the guest will go to the homes of others, and thereby infect the host. If the guest visits 10 homes, then 10 families will be infected with Covid-19, and in the end as soon as Aidilfitri ends the number of positive cases in the country could jump to tens of thousands daily.”

Stressing that this was not a matter to be taken lightly, the prime minister said it was a difficult yet necessary decision by the government

What Muhyiddin failed to explain was that the emergency declared on January 12 was supposed to resolve this critical problem of the Covid-19 pandemic so that Malaysia will not be faced with the “difficult yet necessary decision” on the eve of Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year!

Why did the emergency declared on Januar y 12 failed to bring the third Covid-19 wave under control so that unlike the lockdown last year, balik kampong during Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year  is permitted and not banned like  last year.

Many questions beg for answer which the Muhyiddin government is studiously avoiding answering.

First, why is Malaysia one of the worst performing nations, in particular in East Asia, ASEAN and the Pacific,  in handling the Covid-19 pandemic, to an extent that the  Indonesian government  could cite Malaysia in the same breath as India as two countries not to be emulated  in its advice to Indonesians to take precautions against Covid-19 during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays.

Second, how long will the Covid-19 pandemic last? 2022, 2023 or 2024?

Third, when will Malaysia achieve herd immunity. We are not doing well in the battle “virus vs vaccine”.   Is the Muhyiddin government  trying to accelerate the national vaccination  rollout to complete it by Malaysia Day on Sept. 16 as I had suggested two months ago?

To  get herd immunity, we will need to fully vaccinate 60-70% of our Malaysian population. Presently, medical experts think that vaccine immunity may last 6-8 months. If vaccine immunity can only last 6-8 months, and our vaccine rollout is so slow, by the time the last vaccine group get their first dose, the first vaccine group would have passed their vaccine immune period.

What is being done to accelerate the national vaccination roll-out as at present, Malaysia has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the world – as only 2.2% of the population had been fully vaccinated while 3.6% of the population had been given one dose of the vaccine, lower than Indonesia where 3.3% of the population had been fully vaccinated while 5.1% of the population given one dose of the vaccine? In Singapore, 22.5% of the population had been fully vaccinated while 32.5% of the population has been given one dose of the vaccine.

Finally the most relevant question during this season. With the third Covid wave in Malaysia, the longest in the world, becoming more serious  with deadly variants and low vaccination rates, what guarantee is there  that Hari Raya Aidilfitri next year will not be a third consecutive  year where balik kampong is again banned?

Will Muhyiddin  now concede that the suspension of Parliament was one of the critical factors for the failure of the emergency to bring the third Covid wave under control?

Without the constitutional safeguards of parliamentary scrutiny and the necessary parliamentary check-and-balance of the Executive, it was so easy for kakistocracy to rear its ugly head resulting  in Malaysia even losing out to Indonesia in the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Yang di Pertuan Agong had the foresight to see the importance of parliamentary scrutiny and the parliamentary role of  check-and-balance of the Executive if  the third Covid-19 wave is to brought  under control, and the King spoke up publicly that Parliament could convene in an emergency. But the  Prime Minister and his bloated Cabinet were  deaf to the King’s advice and refused to convene Parliament.

Is Muhyiddin and his bloated Cabinet now prepared to eat humble pie and advise the Yang di Pertuan Agong to convene Parliament?

In any event, a national  emergency is the  wrong prescription for the Covid-19 pandemic.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has endorsed the MCO 3.0 because Malaysia was crossing the “red line” where the capacity of hospital utilisation had reached a critical level with the increase in daily cases, with the hospital wards and intensive care units filling up.

This begs the question as to  why the emergency, which was to ensure that Malaysia did not cross the “red line” in the war against Covid-19 pandemic, had failed.

Will Muhyiddin and his bloated Cabinet answer these questions?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on

Friday, May 14, 2021)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 14 May 2021, 9:11 am and is filed under
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#kerajaangagal42 – Will the Muhyiddin government heed  the six demands of the youths of Malaysia to end the emergency and to convene Parliament?

The youths of Malaysia have made the Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year special and unique in the way they used their online greetings to articulate their views and demands.

Dressed in festive outfits, they posed with placards emblazoned with slogans like “Buka Parlimen” (open Parliament), “Tamat Darurat” (end emergency) and “Kerajaan Gagal” (failed government).

Others wished each other Selamat Hari Raya while calling on Putrajaya to immediately lower the voting age to 18.

This year  marks the second continuous year that Hari Raya Aidilfitri has been celebrated during the Covid-19 pandemic, and several participants highlighted their inability to return home to celebrate the festival with their family as proof of the government’s failure to handle the  Covid-19 pandemic.

Will the Muhyiddin government and his bloated Cabinet heed the six demands of the youths of Malaysia outlined by Sekretariat Solidariti Rakyat, a loose coalition made up of youth groups like Undi18 and members of the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda):

·       to lift the emergency;

·       to reopen Parliament;

·       to immediately implement Undi18;

·       to ensure the rakyat’s economic independence;

·       to make education safe for all rakyat;

·       to ensure no double standards before the law; and

·       to empower the rights of Sabah and Sarawak.

It is most regrettable that the Muhyiddin government has failed in all these six items.

On the “make education safe for all rakyat” plank, it is most regrettable that the Education Minister, Radzi Jidin, has failed to exercise leadership in ensuring a new school culture which  disapproves of period spot checks and disallow lewd jokes by teachers in class.

I find it most shocking that there are plans afoot to expel Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam  from her school, SMK Puncak Alam.  If this is allowed, it would be to the infamy and ignominy of the Education Minister, Radzi Jidin and the Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin.

Haven’t the duo  heard of Greta Thunberg?

For Muhyddin and Radzi’s information, Thunberg is a 18-year-old Swedish environmental activist who is internationally known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation.

Thunberg’s activism started after persuading her parents to adopt several lifestyle choices to reduce their own carbon footprint. In August 2018, at age 15, she started spending her school days outside the Swedish Parliament to call for stronger action on climate change by holding up a sign reading Skolstrejk för klimatet (School strike for climate).

Soon other students engaged in similar protests in their own communities. Together they organised a school climate strike movement under the name Fridays for Future.

After Thunberg addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference, student strikes took place every week somewhere in the world. In 2019, there were multiple coordinated multi-city protests involving over a million students each.

She received numerous honours and awards, including an honorary Fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, inclusion in Time’s 100 most influential people, being the youngest Time Person of the Year, inclusion in the Forbes list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women (2019), and three consecutive nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize (2019–2021).

Would  Greta Thunberg survive under the Malaysian education system?

This is food for thought by all Malaysians and I will leave to Radzi Jidin to answer this question.

President Joe  Biden of the United States  has just appointed 18-year-old climate change activist Jerome Foster II, to be a member of his White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, a move which the media has hailed as ”From protestor to climate policy maker”.

It is time that we  give Malaysian  youths of today not only more voice, but more influence and power in public policy formulation and implementation – and the last thing that should happen is the expulsion of Ain Husniza for speaking up against lewd jokes by teachers in class!

Five days have passed since Muhyiddin announced MCO. 3.0 without any economic stimulus package to cushion the grave economic blow to the poor and vulnerable groups.

The Federation of Malaysian Business Associations (FMBA) has called for financial relief programmes and stressed that the government must be accountable for unprecedented containment measures under the MCO 3.0.

The FMBA said that  the government must stand up and be ready to be counted, adding that the government should use granular data within government agencies to implement data-driven decisions and not on an ad hoc basis.

On providing safety nets for businesses, the group said the government could offer soft loans and extend the wage subsidy programme to all economic sectors except those in essential services until the end of the year.

The group also said a freeze on recurring costs until next year would help non-essential businesses stay afloat, such as EPF, Socso and EIS contributions for employees, as well as utility expenditure discounts on electricity, telecommunications and broadband.

I  call on Muhyiddin to be specific, whether there will be any MCO 3.0  multi-billion ringgit economic stimulus package or not, for the Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Aziz cannot be taking such a long time to come with an economic stimulus package.

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, May 14, 2021)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 14 May 2021, 12:22 pm and is filed under
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#kerajaangagal43 – Is Muhyiddin prepared to convene Parliament to spearhead an all-party national mobilisation involving “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” strategy and approach in the war against Covid-19 pandemic

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

Malaysia yesterday marked the second-deadliest day of the 16-month long Covid-19 pandemic with 34 deaths reported — a mere two days after it reported 39 fatalities, the highest daily toll yet since the onset of the pandemic in January last year.

The latest deaths pushed the total number of those who had succumbed to the coronavirus to 1,822 fatalities.

Many Malaysians must be thinking whether in the coming days, weeks and months, they are looking to the best or to the worst in the Covid-19 pandemic and whether daily Covid fatalities in Malaysia would break the hundredth mark?

The 4,113 daily new cases of Covid-19 yesterday as the third consecutive day that cases remain above the 4,000-mark following 4,855 and 4,765 cases in the previous two days, bringing the cumulative total to 462,190 cases.

It cast a pall of gloom on the Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year and raises the serious question whether the kakistocratic Muhyiddin government is really capable of bringing the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia under control.

The Sheraton Move conspiracy, which toppled the 22-month Pakatan Harapan government, is going down in Malaysian history as ushering in the worst government in Malaysia.

A strong case could be made that Malaysia would have spared both the second and third waves of the Covid-19 pandemic if not for the Sheraton Move conspiracy, and Malaysia under the Pakatan Harapan government would be cited as one of the success stories in the ranks of countries in East Asia, ASEAN and Pacific like Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, China, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan or Cambodia in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Why has Malaysia fallen so low that the Indonesian government could cite Malaysia in the same breath as India in its warning to Indonesians as nations not to be emulated in the mishandling of Covid-19 pandemic and that they should stay home and to take precautions on Covid-19 in the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays?

In the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, there were zero fatalities. In the second wave ending on Sept. 1, there were 128 fatalities.

There were zero fatalities from Sept. 1 to Sept. 17, 2020, when hell broke lose with the advent of the third wave, brought about by the Perikatan Nasional’s thirst for power which resulted in the Sabah state general election in September last year.

The third Covid-19 wave has so far claimed 1,694 lives, made of up:

Up to August 31- 128

September 2020- 8

October 2020 – 113

November-2020 – 111

December-2020- 111

January 2021 – 289

February 2021 – 370

March 2021 – 142

April 2021- 224

May – 316

(till May 14)

Total – 1,822

From the monthly fatalities above, it is clear that the emergency declared on January 12, 2021 has failed to bring the third Covid wave under control.

Although it succeeded for a few days to head off the third wave from surging to its peak, we are now back to a deadlier surge, with daily new Covid cases exceeding 4,000 and daily fatalities reaching record numbers.

Even the Health Ministry is now forecasting more than 8,000 new Covid-19 cases a day by June if the public does not comply with standard operating procedures (SOPs) against Covid-19.

Previously, the Health Ministry had forecasted around 5,000 new cases per day by June.

Is Muhyddin prepared convene Parliament and spearhead an all-party national mobilisation which involve an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” strategy and approach to break the Covid-19 curve and save lives and livelihoods in Malaysia?

I have no doubt that the Opposition, whatever the party, would respond positively as it is the paramount duty of all patriotic Malaysians to ensure that Malaysia does not become an India or Nepal in the Covid-19 pandemic!

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 15th May 2021)

#kerajaangagal43 — Adakah Muhyiddin bersedia untuk memanggil Parlimen bersidang untuk memacu usaha sama semua parti politik untuk merangka strategi dan pendekatan melibatkan “keseluruhan kerajaan” dan “keseluruhan masyarakat” dalam memerangi wabak Covid-19

Semalam negara kita menyaksikan hari kedua terburuk dalam perang melawan wabak Covid-19 dengan 34 kematian dilaporkan — hanya beberapa hari selepas kita menyaksikan 39 kematian dalam sehari, sejak daripada bermulanya wabak ini pada Januari lepas.

Angka terkini ini membawa jumlah keseluruhan akibat Covid-19 di negara kita kepada 1,822 kematian.

Pastinya ramai rakyat Malaysia yang bimbang, dalam hari, minggu, dan bulan yang akan datang ini, sama ada kita akan melihat keadaan menjadi lebih baik atau lebih buruk, sama ada kadar kematian ini akan memecahkan siling 100 kematian sehari?

4,113 kes baharu semalam mencatatkan hari ketiga berturut-turut negara kita menyaksikan peningkatan harian di atas paras 4,000 kes, diikuti oleh 4,855 dan 4,765 kes pada dua hari sebelumnya, membawa jumlah kes keseluruhan dalam negara kepada 462,190 kes.

Perkara ini membawa kepada suasana suram dalam sambutan Hari Raya Aidilfitri tahun ini dan menimbulkan persoalan serius sama ada kerajaan kakistokratik Muhyiddin ini mampu untuk mengawal wabak Covid-19 dalam negara kita.

Konspirasi Langkah Sheraton yang menumbangkan kerajaan Pakatan Harapan yang berusia 22 bulan ini akan diingati dalam sejarah sebagai peristiwa yang membawa masuk kerajaan yang paling teruk dalam sejarah negara kita.

Boleh dikatakan yang Malaysia mungkin akan berhadapan dengan nasib yang lebih baik dan dapat mengelakkan gelombang kedua dan ketiga wabak Covid-19 ini sekiranya Langkah Sheraton tidak menumbangkan kerajaan Pakatan Harapan, malah Malaysia di bawah pentadbiran PH mungkin akan digolongkan bersama dengan kisah-kisah kejayaan di Asia Timur, ASEAN, dan kawasan serantau Pasifik, seperti Singapura, Australia, New Zealand, China, Korea Selatan, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, atau Kemboja.

Mengapakah negara kita telah mencatatkan prestasi seburuk ini, sehinggakan kerajaan Indonesia memberikan amaran kepada rakyatnya untuk mengambil iktibar daripada Malaysia dan India dan untuk duduk di rumah dan berjaga-jaga semasa sambutan hari raya untuk mengelakkan penularan buruk di sana?

Dalam gelombang pertama penularan wabak Covid-19 di Malaysia, kita mencatatkan sifar kematian. Dalam gelombang kedua yang berakhir pada 1 September, kita mencatatkan 128 kematian.

Kita menyaksikan sifar kematian antara 1 sehingga 17 September, apabila segalanya mula menjadi teruk dengan kedatangan gelombang ketiga yang berpunca daripada kerakusan Perikatan Nasional yang menyebabkan berlakunya Pilihan Raya Negeri Sabah pada September tahun lepas.

Gelombang ketiga wabak ini telah mengorbankan 1,694 nyawa;

Setakat 31 Ogos – 128

September 2020 – 8

Oktober 2020 – 113

November 2020 – 111

Disember 2020 – 111

Januari 2021 – 289

Februari 2021 – 370

Mac 2021 – 142

April 2021 – 224

Mei (setakat 14 Mei) – 316

Jumlah – 1,822

Daripada kadar kematian bulan di atas, kita dapat lihat dengan jelas bahawa perintah darurat yang diumumkan pada 12 Januari 2021 telah gagal untuk mengawal gelombang ketiga penularan wabak ini.

Walaupun ia berjaya untuk beberapa hari bagi mengelakkan gelombang ketiga ini mencapai kemuncaknya, kita kini kembali kepada peningkatan mendadak dengan kadar kes baharu melebihi paras 4,000 kes sehari dan kadar kematian yang memecahkan rekod.

Malah, Kementerian Kesihatan sendiri kini menjangkakan lebih daripada 8,000 kes sehari menjelang bulan Jun sekiranya prosedur operasi standard (SOP) Covid-19 tidak dipatuhi.

Sebelum ini, Kementerian Kesihatan menjangkakan 5,000 kes sehari menjelang Jun.

Adakah Muhyiddin bersedia untuk memanggil Parlimen bersidang untuk memacu usaha sama semua parti politik untuk merangka strategi dan pendekatan melibatkan “keseluruhan kerajaan” dan “keseluruhan masyarakat” dalam memerangi wabak Covid-19?

Saya tidak mempunyai sebarang ragu-ragu, bahawa gabungan Pembangkang dari mana-mana parti sekalipun akan memberikan respons positif memandangkan usaha untuk memastikan negara kita tidak menjadi seperti India atau Nepal adalah satu tugas utama untuk semua rakyat Malaysia yang bersifat patriotik!

(Kenyataan media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Sabtu 15 Mei 2021)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 15 May 2021, 8:26 am and is filed under
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#kerajaangagal44 – Greatest disappointment in the National Youth Day  today is the absence of reference to Ain Husniza’s case in  Muhyiddin’s message, with assurance of change of school culture and environment to make education safe for everyone

The greatest disappointment  in  the National Youth Day today is the absence of reference to Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam’s case in  the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s message, with assurance of change of school culture and environment to make education safe for everyone

I find it most shocking that there are plans afoot to expel Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam from her school, SMK Puncak Alam. If this is allowed, it would be to the infamy and ignominy of the Education Minister, Radzi Jidin and the Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin.

Can Malaysia nurture a Greta Thunberg?

Thunberg is a 18-year-old Swedish environmental activist who is internationally known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation.

In August 2018, at age 15, she started spending her school days outside the Swedish Parliament to call for stronger action on climate change by holding up a sign reading Skolstrejk för klimatet (School strike for climate).

Soon other students engaged in similar protests in their own communities. Together they organised a school climate strike movement under the name Fridays for Future.

After Thunberg addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference, student strikes took place every week somewhere in the world. In 2019, there were multiple coordinated multi-city protests involving over a million students each.

She received numerous honours and awards, including an honorary Fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, inclusion in Time’s 100 most influential people, being the youngest Time Person of the Year, inclusion in the Forbes list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women (2019), and three consecutive nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize (2019–2021).

Would Greta Thunberg survive under the Malaysian education system?

President Joe Biden of the United States has just appointed 18-year-old climate change activist Jerome Foster II, to be a member of his White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, a move which the media has hailed as ”From protestor to climate policy maker”.

On today’s  National Youth Day, the government should give Malaysian youths not only more voice, but more influence and power in public policy formulation and implementation.

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, May 15, 2021)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 15 May 2021, 1:35 pm and is filed under
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#kerajaangagal45 – Opposition prepared to form a parliamentary united front with the PN government in the war against Covid-19 pandemic – convene Parliament, no “no-confidence” motion and spearhead  a “whole-of-society” national mobilisation to restore Malaysia to normalcy

This month of May is likely to be the deadliest month of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia.

In the last four days which recorded daily increase of over 4,000 new Covid-19 cases, there had been 144  fatalities. In the half-month of May alone, there had been 360 fatalities which was the same number of  fatalities registered in February 2021, which recorded the highest monthly toll since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in January last year. (On Feb. 1 there was  a cumulative total of 770 deaths which increased to 1,130 deaths  on Feb. 28.)

At the present rate of increase of Covid-19 fatalities, May  is likely to end up doubling the highest monthly toll in February, i.e. exceeding 700 deaths.

Malaysia reported 4,140 new Covid-19 cases yesterday with a cumulative total of 466,330 cases.

Malaysia  is likely to reach  the half-million mark for Covid-19 cases in nine days before 24th May at its present rate of daily increase of Covid-19 cases above 4000 cases.

Malaysia is definitely not among the best 20  countries in handling the Covid-19 pandemic, but let us not be among the worst 20  countries in handling the pandemic.

Even the Indonesian government cited Malaysia in the same breath when it recently warned Indonesians not to emulate India and Malaysia in the handling of Covid19 pandemic when advising  Indonesians to stay home and to take precautions on Covid-19 in the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays.

I had given three reasons why Indonesia now feels superior to Malaysia in the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic: (i) Malaysia has a higher “Cases per 1 million” index than Indonesia; (ii)  Indonesia has been quite successful in bringing the first Covid-19 wave under control, from the peak of daily increase of 14,518 new Covid-19 cases on January 30 to 2,385 cases yesterday; and (iii) a faster vaccination roll-out in Indonesia than Malaysia.

I have just discovered a fourth reason: For the past four days, Malaysia’s daily increase of new Covid-19 cases have been higher than that of Indonesia, although Indonesia has a bigger population nine times that of Malaysia!

Even the Health Ministry is now forecasting more than 8,000 new Covid-19 cases a day by June if the public does not comply with the Covid SOPs.

The Ministry of Health  model predicts that if there is strict compliance with the SOPs, then the daily number of cases can be reduced to under 1,000.

These are sombre figures, both in terms of daily increase of new Covid-19 cases and daily fatalities.

But is this a foregone conclusion that the month of May will be worst month in the 16-month-long Covid-19 pandemic or can it be the month where there is a turnaround in the Covid-19 pandemic?

The emergency that was declared on January 12, 202l was meant to save Malaysia from the very critical  situation of the Covid-19 pandemic we are now in.

What can the Muhyiddin government do to avert Malaysia from a Covid-19 crisis?

Yesterday, it was reported that the University of South Carolina president, Bob Caslen, resigned after a recent plagiarised speech.

Caslen said he was “truly sorry” and apologized for having undermined trust in the university’s leadership. He said: “I understand the responsibilities and higher standards of senior level leadership. When those are not met, trust is lost. And when trust is lost, one is unable to lead.”

The government leadership in Malaysia should give serious thought to this episode, as the deficit  in public trust and confidence in the government leadership had  never been as huge as now than at  any period of the country’s six-decade history since Merdeka.

The moment of goodwill to combat the Covid-19 pandemic  in the early months of the Sheraton Move conspiracy in February 2020, which toppled the 22-month Pakatan Harapan government and ushered in a backdoor, undemocratic and illegitimate government, had vanished with the SOP flips flops and double standards,  greed, lack of good governance and power lust which caused the third Covid wave which had become one of the longest Covid-19 waves in the world since last September.

The Muyhiddin government, as Caslen pointed out, is unable to lead because public trust and confidence had been lost.

There is  widespread and palpable public anger and discontent in the land as witnessed by the #kerajaangagal outbursts in Parit Raja, Batu Pahat and other parts of the country.

The Muhyiddin government is facing a national crisis which  it has no public trust and confidence to lead,  handle and resolve.

The Opposition are  prepared to form a parliamentary united front with the Perikatan Nasional  government in the war against Covid-19 pandemic – convene Parliament, no “no-confidence” motion and spearhead a “whole-of-society” national mobilisation of Malaysians to restore the country to normalcy.

The ball is in the court of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin!

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, May 16, 2021)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 16 May 2021, 8:23 am and is filed under
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#kerajaangagal46 – Muhyiddin should require all his Ministers in his bloated Cabinet  to see Muntoh Fong’s video to understand the people’s disappointment and anger at the government’s failure to care for the elderly in the Covid-19 pandemic

The Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should require all his Ministers in his bloated Cabinet to see Muntoh Fong’s video to understand the people’s disappointment and anger at the government’s failure to care for the elderly in the Covid-19 pandemic.

I saw Muntoh Fong’s video and it is clear that there is no answer to his charges of government failure and irresponsibility in the National Vaccination Campaign.

Muntoh Fong is the Secretary of the Association for Residential Aged Care Operators of Malaysia and he posted a video on Facebook saying he was very worried about the future of nursing homes with the ongoing rise of Covid-19 cases in these homes.

He urged the government to show that it cares about the elderly, saying it is disappointed with the health ministry’s failure to administer vaccinations among elderly under care.

Fong was upset that many people who were not in the at-risk groups had already been vaccinated but not the people at nursing homes.

He said nursing home operators were considered frontline workers but until now, there was no news on any vaccination plans.

He added the association had offered to help the health ministry with vaccinations but was told they were not needed.

He also accused the health ministry of having called away 200 to 300 nurses from nursing homes for emergency assistance in handling the pandemic.

This jeopardised nursing homes and right now over 30 out of 1,700 nursing homes have been infected by Covid-19. But thankfully, the  death rates are low.

The coordinating minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, Khairy Jamaluddin, should act immediately to prove Fong wrong and reaffirm  that the Muhyiddin government cares for the elderly in the nursing homes.

Khairy should also heed the warning of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) about a tsunami of Covid-19 cases and fatalities from nursing homes and aged care centres.

The MMA President, Dr. M. Subramaniam, had urged the government to take proactive action to vaccinate the elderly who are staying in nursing homes and aged care centres to avoid a tsunami of cases from this category.

He warned that this is particularly pertinent and relevant as  the country is running out of intensive care unit (ICU) beds for Covid-19 cases.

The government can engage private general practitioners (GPs) to provide vaccinations at these centres in case the government lacks the manpower to do so

He said that the demand for ICU hospitalisation can rapidly increase if older persons at nursing homes and aged care facilities (registered and unregistered) are infected with Covid-19.

Dr. Subrfamaniam sai: “With cases of Covid-19 on the rise now, the Special Committee on Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) must ensure this vulnerable group is vaccinated to protect against the coronavirus and to prevent breakouts at these aged care facilities.

“Urgency must be given to this as there is a high likelihood that due to old age and medical condition, older persons in this category will require ICU hospitalisation if infected with Covid-19.”

Khairy should act immediately.

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, May 16, 2021)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 16 May 2021, 9:43 am and is filed under
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#kerajaangagal47 – As Sarawak is allowed to procure its own Covid-19 vaccine, the Federal Government should end its  monopoly  on vaccine procurement and allow the various State Governments to procure their own Covid-19 vaccines to give free to the people  as Malaysia is in a race against  time fighting the  critical battle of ‘vaccine vs virus’ to accelerate the national vaccination roll-out

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

One of the top priority strategies in the war against Covid-19 pandemic must be to accelerate the national vaccination rollout in Malaysia which is too slow and tardy, especially as various Covid-19 variants had injected a new urgency into the whole Covid-19 scenario.

The new coronavirus is a moving target.

Early in the pandemic, leading scientists warned that the virus could become endemic and “may never go away,” including Dr Michael Ryan, head of the World Health Organization’s emergencies programme.

For much of 2020, many scientists were surprised and reassured that the coronavirus had not changed significantly enough to become more transmissible or deadly.

With major breakthroughs as vaccines were produced in double-quick time, a few scientists had hopes that it would be possible to virtually eliminate Covid-19, if only the world could be vaccinated quickly enough.

The optimism proved short-lived. In late December, the UK warned of a new, more transmissible variant that was quickly becoming the dominant form of the coronavirus in the country. Around the same time, researchers learned of the impact of the faster-spreading variants in South Africa and in Brazil, and most recently, the deadly Indian variant.

By early January, there is “a new chapter” in the Covid-19 pandemic, requiring countries to constantly monitor for mutations that could dampen the effect of vaccines.

Now most scientists have undergone a change of heart on Covid-19, with a virologist even describing it as “scientific whiplash”, ending the idea that it was plausible to achieve so-called “functional eradication” of the coronavirus, similar to measles.

Now, mankind is in a race against time in the battle “virus vs vaccine”, which the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme co-ordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin should take into account and ensure that the National Immunisation Programme is accelerated to take account of this new factor.

Two months ago, in my media statement of March 22, 2021, I asked:

“Can we ensure that we can register triple-digit figure for the daily increase of new Covid-19 cases in March and double-digit figure in April, bringing an end to the seven-month third wave of Covid-19 pandemic from early September – when we had a daily increase of 62 new Covid-19 cases on Malaysia Day, Sept. 16, 2020?

“Can we guarantee that before we bring to the third wave of Covid-19 to double-digit daily increase, there will not be a fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia, rising to higher levels of daily increase of Covid-19 cases than the peak of 5,728 new Covid-19 cases on January 30?

“Can we ensure the success of the national Covid-19 vaccination rollout, and even accelerate and complete it by the National Day-Malaysia Day period of August 31- September 16, 2021 so that normality, recovery of the economy and national life can begin?”

This was before the world became fully aware the of deadly mutation of Covid-19 virus. Now with the world-wide knowledge of the deadly Covid-19 variants, it is all the more imperative that the National Immunisation Programme should be speeded up, and my proposal to accelerate and end the national rollout by Malaysia Day on Sept. 16 should be given consideration.

To get herd immunity, we will need to fully vaccinate 60-70% of our Malaysian population. Presently, medical experts think that vaccine immunity may last 6-8 months.

If vaccine immunity can only last 6-8 months, with our slow vaccine rollout, by the time the last vaccine group get their first dose, the first vaccine group would have passed their vaccine immune period.

Will we ever get herd immunity this way?

Yesterday, the Sarawak government announced that it will receive 500,000 does of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine within a week, and that it had procured an additional 500,000 doses of Sinovac.

As Sarawak is allowed to procure its own Covid-19 vaccine, the Federal Government should end its monopoly on vaccine procurement and all State governments should be allowed to procure their own Covid-19 vaccines to provide free for the people in their respective states as Malaysia is in a race against time in the critical battle of ‘vaccine vs virus’ to accelerate the national vaccination roll-out.

On Hari Raya Aidilfritri day, it was disclosed that after spending nearly seven months tracking down Covid-19 cases in the Hentian Cluster, the Health Ministry declared the cluster to have ended as no new cases had been recorded in the cluster for 28 consecutive days. It was one of the 12 clusters to be declared to have ended.

A doctor friend asked:

“This seemed to give a picture that our ‘track and trace team’ may be understaffed. I am sure that MOH is aware that the ‘track and trace’ team is as vital, if not more so than the testing team and the treating team.

“In our effort to control a very infectious virus, we need boots on the ground to find out where that virus originated from and where it is hiding. This is hard work and often under appreciated. Is the MOH lacking staff to do track and trace (T&T)?

“We are all very concerned as there are still hundreds of active clusters all over the country. On Friday, MOH reported a total of 461 out of 1,861 clusters are still active. They also reported 13 new clusters. If we are taking 7 months to close down one cluster, does it mean that with the present T&T workforce, we will take 3,000 months to end this crisis?

“Surely, the Health Director-General must ask the government to hire more staff (maybe temporary staff) to help, so that we can close down the clusters in weeks, if not days.

“It may also be a good idea for the ‘boss’ to visit and meet with the T&T team to thank them personally, try and shore up their morale. They are all doing a very tough and important work and would surely like to be appreciated.”

May be, there could be a response from the relevant authorities?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 17th May 2021)

#kerajaangagal47 — Memandangkan Sarawak dibenarkan untuk menguruskan perolehan vaksin Covid-19 sendiri, Kerajaan Persekutuan perlu menghentikan monopolinya terhadap pemerolehan vaksin dan membenarkan kerajaan negeri lain juga untuk memperoleh vaksin untuk diberikan kepada rakyat secara percuma

Salah satu strategi utama kita dalam perang melawan wabak Covid-19 adalah untuk mempercepatkan usaha vaksinasi kebangsaan yang buat masa ini bergerak dengan perlahan, terutamanya dengan kemunculan pelbagai variasi baharu Covid-19 yang memaksa kita untuk bertindak dengan lebih pantas.

Wabak koronavirus ini adalah satu perkara yang sentiasa bergerak.

Pada peringkat awal wabak ini, saintis di seluruh dunia, termasuklah Dr Michael Ryan, Ketua Program Kecemasan Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia, memberikan amaran bahawa wabak ini mungkin akan berkekalan.

Sepanjang tahun 2020, ramai saintis terkejut dan berasa yakin apabila koronavirus ini tidak berubah secara signifikan untuk merebak dengan lebih pantas atau menjadi lebih merbahaya.

Dengan perkembangan pesat dalam pembangunan vaksin, beberapa orang saintis berharapan yang kita mungkin akan berjaya menghapuskan wabak ini sama sekali, sekiranya usaha vaksinasi dapat dijalankan dengan cukup pantas.

Namun, perasaan optimis ini tidak berkekalan. Pada akhir bulan Disember, UK memberikan amaran mengenai variasi baharu Covid-19 yang merebak dengan lebih pantas di negara tersebut. Pada sekitar waktu yang sama, para penyelidik mula memahami impak variasi yang merebak dengan lebih pantas di Afrika Selatan dan Brazil, dan baru-baru ini pula, di India.

Menjelang awal Januari, bermulalah satu bab baharu dalam wabak Covid-19 ini, di mana negara-negara di seluruh dunia perlu sentiasa cuba mengenal pasti variasi baharu yang mungkin akan mengurangkan kesan vaksin.

Kini, kebanyakan para saintis telah berubah fikiran, mereka tidak lagi merasakan yang wabak ini dapat dihapuskan sepenuhnya.

Sekarang, umat manusia berada dalam satu perlumbaan melawan masa dan perkara ini perlu diambil kira oleh Menteri Koordinasi Program Imunisasi Covid-19 Kebangsaan (PICK), Khairy Jamaluddin, untuk memastikan program ini dipercepatkan.

Dua bulan yang lepas, dalam kenyataan media saya yang bertarikh 22 Mac 2021, saya bertanya:

“Bolehkah kita memastikan bahawa kita dapat mengekalkan kes harian Covid-19 dalam lingkungan tiga angka dan menurunkan kes positif Covid-19 ke julat dua angka pada bulan April, sekaligus menamatkan gelombang ketiga pandemik Covid-19 yang berlarutan tujuh bulan lamanya sejak awal September tahun lalu — di mana harapnya kita hanya akan mencatatkan 62 kes baharu Covid-19 pada Hari Malaysia, 16 September 2021 nanti.

“Bolehkah kita menjamin bahawa sebelum gelombang ketiga Covid-19 dapat dikawal dan angka kes kembali menurun ke dua digit setiap hari, tidak akan berlaku gelombang keempat pandemik Covid-19 di Malaysia yang mencatatkan rekod kes tertinggi seperti mana pada 30 Januari lalu dengan 5,728 kes.

“Bolehkah kita memastikan kejayaan Kempen Imunisasi Covid-19 Kebangsaan, dan mempercepat serta menyiapkannya menjelang waktu sambutan Hari Kebangsaan – Hari Malaysia di antara 31 Ogos ke 16 September 2021 supaya ekonomi dapat dipulihkan dan kehidupan rakyat dapat kembali normal secepat mungkin.”

Persoalan ini adalah sebelum dunia menyedari sepenuhnya mengenai variasi-variasi merbahaya virus Covid-19 ini. Kini, dengan pengetahuan di seluruh dunia, semakin penting untuk kita mempercepatkan pelaksanaan PICK, dan cadangan saya ini perlulah dipertimbangkan.

Untuk mencapat imuniti kelompok, kita perlu memastikan sekurang-kurangnya 60-70% populasi dalam negara diberikan vaksin sepenuhnya. Setakat ini, pakar perubatan menjangkakan imuniti vaksin ini hanya akan bertahan selama 6 ke 8 bulan.

Sekiranya imuniti ini hanya bertahan selama 6 ke 8 bulan, dengan kadar vaksinasi kita yang lambat ini, apabila tiba masanya kumpulan terakhir divaksinasi, kumpulan pertama yang menerima vaksin akan melepasi tempoh kekebalan vaksin mereka.

Adakah kita akan mencapai imuniti kelompok dengan cara ini?

Semalam, kerajaan negeri Sarawak mengumumkan yang mereka akan menerima 500,000 dos vaksin Sinovac dalam masa seminggu lagi dan mereka telah memperoleh tambahan sebanyak 500,000 dos lagi.

Memandangkan Sarawak dibenarkan untuk mendapatkan vaksin Covid-19 mereka sendiri, Kerajaan Persekutuan perlu menghentikan monopolinya terhadap pemerolehan vaksin dan semua kerajaan negeri perlu dibenarkan untuk mendapatkan vaksin Covid-19 untuk diedarkan secara percuma kepada rakyat supaya kita dapat melengkapkan proses vaksinasi ini secepat mungkin dan mencapai imuniti kelompok.

Pada Hari Raya Aidilfitri, didedahkan bahawa selepas tujuh bulan mengenal pasti kes-kes Covid-19 dalam Kluster Hentian, Kementerian Kesihatan akhirnya mengumumkan bahawa kluster ini telah tamat memandangkan tidak ada kes baharu didaftarkan lagi untuk tempoh 28 hari berturut-turut. Kluster ini adalah satu daripada 12 kluster yang telah diumumkan tamat.

Seorang rakan yang merupakan seorang doktor bertanya:

“Perkara ini memberikan gambaran bahawa “pasukan jejakan” kita kekurangan kakitangan. Saya pasti yang KKM sedar bahawa “pasukan jejakan kontak rapat” ini amat penting, jika tidak lebih penting berbanding dengan pasukan ujian saringan dan pasukan rawatan.

“Dalam usaha kita untuk mengawal penularan wabak ini, kita perlukan orang di lapangan untuk mencari dari mana wabak ini tular dan di mana ia menyorok. Tugas ini adalah tanggungjawab yang sukar dan selalunya tidak diberikan penghargaan yang sepatutnya. Adakah KKM berhadapan dengan kekurangan kakitangan penjejakan kontak rapat?

“Kita semua amat bimbang memandangkan masih terdapat beratus kluster yang aktif di seluruh negara. Pada hari Jumaat, KKM melaporkan sejumlah 461 daripada 1,861 masih aktif. KKM juga melaporkan 13 kluster baharu. Sekiranya kita mengambil masa selama 7 bulan untuk menamatkan satu kluster, dengan tenaga kerja penjejakan kontak rapat sedia ada, adakah kita akan mengambil masa 3,000 bulan untuk menamatkan krisis kesihatan ini?

“Pastinya Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan perlu meminta kerajaan untuk menggajikan lebih ramai kakitangan (mungkin kakitangan sementara) untuk membantu, supaya kita boleh menamatkan kluster-kluster dalam tempoh beberapa minggu, atau pun hari.

“Mungkin juga ‘bos’ patut melawat pasukan penjejakan kontak rapat ini untuk menyampaikan perhargaan kepada mereka secara terus, dan meningkatkan moral mereka. Mereka semua sedang menjalankan tugas yang amat sukar tetapi penting dan pastinya mereka akan gembira apabila diberikan penghargaan.”

Mungkin kita boleh dapatkan respons daripada pihak berkuasa yang berkenaan?

(Kenyataan media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Isnin, 17 Mei 2021)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 17 May 2021, 10:11 am and is filed under
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#kerajaangagal48 – Has Muhyiddin forgotten his objective nine years ago when he was Education Minister for Malaysia become a “wonder nation”?

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

Has the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin forgotten his objective nine years ago when he was Education Minister for Malaysia to become a “wonder nation”?

Otherwise, why was there no reference to this objective in his message in conjunction with the 50th Teachers’ Day celebration yesterday?

Can Muhyiddin declare whether his objective remain to make Malaysia a “wonder nation” or he has long given up on this objective?

In his Teachers’ Day message yesterday, Muhyiddin talked about everything from the concept of learning to be relevant at any time and place in line with the new normal instead of being confined within the four walls of a room to the globalisation of education – but there was not a single reference to what he said nine years ago to transform Malaysia into a “wonder nation” when he launched the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 in September 2012.

At that time, he wanted Malaysia to become a “wonder nation” and to make the quantum jump from the bottom third to top third of 2021 PISA (Programme for International Assessment) tests of OECD.

Muhyiddin should know of the saying “the proof is in the pudding”, as the ”wonder nation” is another of Muhyiddin’s many “pudding failures”.

What is more mortifying is that Muhyiddih paid RM20 million to foreigners to draft the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025 and the coinage of the phrase “wonder nation” for his launching speech.

A decade later, Malaysia has slipped further in human capital development to the extent that multinational companies (MNCs) are less keen to employ local engineers who had graduated from local public universities, preferring graduates from Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and even Indonesia.

They say local graduate engineers fall below their requirement, viz:

i. they cannot perform their tasks well;

ii. they will need more training on the job (which will cost time and money);

iii. its more a nuisance to hire them, especially when engineers from nearby ASEAN countries can perform better.

We have also slipped in the world competitiveness ranking from No. 22 in 2019 to No. 27 in 2020. Our ranking in the 2021 world competitiveness report is likely to be even worse!

In fact, Malaysians have never felt so small, as recently Indonesian government even cited Malaysia in the same breath as India in its warning to Indonesians as the two nations not to be emulated in the mishandling of Covid-19 pandemic and that they should stay home and to take precautions on Covid-19 in the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays!

Can Malaysia turn around from this trajectory towards a kakistocracy and a failed state?

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 17th May 2021)

#kerajaangagal48 — Adakah Muhyiddin telah lupa cita-cita beliau sembilan tahun yang lalu untuk Malaysia menjadi sebuah “negara hebat”?

Adakah Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin telah lupa kepada cita-cita beliau sembilan tahun yang lalu semasa beliau merupakan Menteri Pendidikan untuk negara kita menjadi sebuah “negara hebat”?

Jika tidak, mengapakah perkara ini tidak disebut beliau dalam perutusan sempena sambutan Hari Guru Kebangsaan ke-50 semalam?

Bolehkah Muhyiddin menjelaskan sama ada cita-cita ini masih hidup atau sama ada beliau telah lama berputus asa dengannya?

Dalam perutusan Hari Guru beliau semalam, Muhyiddin berkata mengenai pelbagai perkara, daripada konsep pendidikan untuk sentiasa relevan pada bila-bila masa dan mana-mana tempat dan tidak lagi terkongkong dengan empat dinding bilik darjah, selari dengan norma baharu kehidupan, kepada globalisasi pendidikan — namun beliau langsung tidak menyentuh mengenai apa yang dikatakan sembilan tahun lalu untuk mengubah Malaysia menjadi “negara hebat” semasa pelancaran Rancangan Tindakan Pendidikan 2013 – 2025 pada bulan September 2012.

Pada masa itu, beliau mahu Malaysia menjadi “negara hebat” dan melompat daripada golongan ketiga terbawah ujian PISA (Program Penilaian Antarabangsa) 2021 OECD kepada ketiga teratas.

Muhyiddin perlu sedar, buktinya perlulah dapat dilihat, dan “negara hebat” ini adalah satu lagi bukti kegagalan beliau.

Apa yang lebih memalukan akan hakikat di mana Muhyiddin telah membayar RM20 juta kepada pihak asing untuk datang dengan idea “negara hebat” dan merangka Rancangan Tindakan Pendidikan 2013 – 2025 beliau ini.

Sedekad kemudian, negara kita terus ketinggalan di belakang dari segi pembangunan modal insan sehinggakan syarikat-syarikat antarabangsa tidak berminat untuk mengupah jurutera keluaran universiti tempatan, sebaliknya memilih siswazah daripada Filipina, Vietnam, Thailand, dan juga Indonesia.

Mereka mengatakan jurutera siswazah tempatan tidak memenuhi keperluan mereka kerana:

i. Mereka tidak dapat menjalankan tugas dengan baik;

ii. Mereka memerlukan lebih banyak latihan (yang memakan kos dan wang);

iii. Lebih menyusahkan untuk menggajikan mereka ini apabila terdapat jurutera daripada ASEAN yang boleh bekerja dengan lebih baik.

Kita juga telah terus terkebelakang dari segi daya saing di peringkat antarabangsa, dari tempat ke-22 pada tahun 2019 kepada tempat ke-27 pada tahun 2020. Kedudukan kita pada tahun 2021 dijangkakan akan menjadi lebih buruk!

Malah, rakyat Malaysia tidak pernah berasa semalu sekarang ini, sehingga baru-baru ini kerajaan Indonesia menggunakan negara kita bersama dengan India sebagai contoh negara yang gagal menguruskan wabak ini dengan baik dalam memberikan amaran kepada rakyatnya untuk terus kekal di rumah dan berjaga-jaga dengan wabak Covid-19 semasa tempoh sambutan Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

Bolehkah Malaysia mengubah hala tuju kakistokratik ini kepada yang lebih baik?

(Kenyataan media (2) Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Isnin, 17 Mei 2021)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 17 May 2021, 3:29 pm and is filed under
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#kerajaangagal49 – Time for a total overhaul of the strategy to fight the war against the Covid-19 pandemic as the old strategy has failed – resulting in Malaysia becoming one of the worst performing nations  even worse than United States

The time has come for a total overhaul of the strategy to fight the war against the Covid-19 pandemic as the old strategy used for the past 16 months has failed resulting in Malaysia becoming one of the worst performing nations even worse than the United States.

For the past six days, Malaysia has a higher daily increase of new Covid-19 cases than Indonesia, as illustrated by the following:

Date

Malaysia

Indonesia

12/5

4,765

4,608

13/5

4,855

3,448

14/5

4,113

2,633

15/5

4,140

2,385

16/5

3,780

3,080

17/5

4,464

4,295

Indonesia has about nine times the population of Malaysia and during the its peak, it had daily increase of 14,518 new Covid-19 cases on January 30.

Now it has less daily increase of new Covid-19 cases, though it has a higher cumulative total of 1.74 million Covid-19 cases and 48,305 fatalities compared to Malaysia’s cumulative total of 474,556 and 1,947 fatalities.

Although Malaysian fatalities cannot compare with that of Indonesia, it is still most shocking and unacceptable that in the last six days alone, there had been 225

Covid-19 deaths. In two day’s time, Malaysia’s Covid-19 fatalities is likely to pass the 2,000-mark – raising the question whether we are getting into the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic after 16 months!

Although the United States, with 33.7 million cases is the No. 1 nation in the world with the most number of cumulative total of Covid-19 cases, it has turned a corner with the presidency of Joe Biden, as the daily increase of new Covid-19 cases has fallen from the peak of 304,212 cases on January 8, 2021 to 19,755 cases – a humongous reduction of 93.5%.

In contrast, the present surge of the third Covid-19 wave in Malaysia, one of the longest Covid-19 wave in the world, threatens to overtake the Malaysian peak recorded on January 30, which was 5,728 cases as compared to 4,464 cases yesterday.

According to Our World in Data website, the latest rolling seven-day average of confirmed Covid-19 cases per million of population, Malaysia has a higher figure than the United States and United Kingdom – Malaysia at 129.91 as compared to United States of America at 100.34 and United Kingdom at 33.69.

We are above both the world average of 86.86 and the Asian average of 88.78.

We are also the highest in East Asia, ASEAN and Pacific, as illustrated by the following data:

Country

Cases per million

Malaysia

129.91

Philippines

54.72

Japan

48.56

Thailand

36.99

Cambodia

25.18

Indonesia

13.61

South Korea

12.59

Singapore

5.52

Taiwan

2.99

Vietnam

1.17

Brunei

0.65

Myanmar

0.31

Australia

0.26

New Zealand

0.21

China

0.01

We have performed way below expectation in every aspect of the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in Malaysia having a disproportionately huge cumulative total of Covid-19 cases, a high daily increase of new Covid-19 cases and fatalities and a low rate of vaccination process.

FreeMalaysiaToday (FMT) reported yesterday that the Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s inner circle had warned him and several ministers about rising public anger, with the hope that the government would use better communication strategies to reverse the tension.

Two Bersatu party insiders told FMT said the government had failed to communicate effectively with the rakyat, relying on dry data instead of real stories of the people’s suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“There were some hard truths the prime minister needed to know. We have passed the message. If they do not take heed, the government may not be able to fight the anger,” one insider said.

He said most leaders are aware that it may be too late to reverse the anger but “there’s still hope as we do not want general elections this year.”

He said several party members are unhappy with the way the government was running the country.

Another Bersatu party insider said the prime minister’s team had been told there is genuine anger about the double standards practised by the government.

He said Muhyiddin had been told that the police must question everyone, including ministers and deputy ministers, if they breach the rules.

But will Muhyiddin listen?

I had said that the Muhyiddin government is facing a national crisis and that it has no public trust and confidence to lead, handle and resolve. I said the Opposition is prepared to form a parliamentary united front with the Perikatan Nasional government in the war against Covid-19 pandemic – convene Parliament, no “no-confidence” motion and spearhead a “whole-of-society” national mobilisation of Malaysians to restore the country to normalcy.

But there had been no response from Muhyiddin government.

Meanwhile, the mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic had continued from one disaster to another catastrophe.

Who would have expected Malaysia to cross the half-million mark for cumulative total of Covid-19 cases around May 24 and cross the 2,000 mark for Covid-19 fatalities in two days’ time?

Who would have expected that Malaysia would not be among the better performing nations in the Covid-19 pandemic in East Asia, ASEAN and Pacific like Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand, but viewed unfavourably even by Indonesia which associated Malaysia with India as among the worst performing nations in handling the Covid-19 pandemic?

Pakatan Harapan’s Covid-19 vaccination committee had warned that Malaysia will be trapped in a “vicious cycle of movement control order” unless the government ramped up its 3Ts (test, trace and treat) and vaccinations.

Although Malaysia had been strickened by the Covid-19 pandemic for 16 months, the authorities are responding as if they are being hit by a unknown pandemic for the first time.

The inefficient and disorganised quarantine and vaccination centres as well as government hospitals running out of beds at intensive care units (ICUs) to treat critical Covid-19 cases do not show the public health infrastructure and system of Malaysia in good light.

Malaysians are reminded of the 1,000-bed hospital in Wuhan, China that was built in 10 days at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Malaysians must show the same can-do spirit of grit and fortitude to overcome the various deadly variants of the Covid-19 pandemic.

There must be consistency, public trust and confidence. There is, for instance, ambiguity as to whether the Federal Government is prepared to end its monopoly on vaccine procurement.

With the Sarawak government procuring a million doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine, the Federal Government must make it clear that it would welcome State Governments to procure Covid-19 vaccine to provide free to the people in the State so as to accelerate the national vaccination roll-out, especially as Malaysia is in a race against time fighting the critical battle of ‘vaccine vs virus’.

Is Muhyiddin aware that his government is facing the worst crisis of confidence in Malaysian history?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Tuesday,18th May 2021)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 18 May 2021, 10:04 am and is filed under
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#kerajaangagal50 – What is dividing Malaysians?

Last week, columnist Mariam Mokhtar asked a question which all Malaysians should think about.

She asked: “What is driving Malaysia apart?”

Is it religion?

Her answer was a categorical “No”.

She said: “Religion does not split Malaysia. Religion is just a tool used by politicians to divide us.”

Is it then race?

Her answer was a furious “No”, as race is another “effective ploy” to divide Malaysians.

She continued:

“Nor does corruption, because corruption is just a means to an end.

“The primary force that drives Malaysia apart is greed.

“Greedy politicians, who pursue material wealth, know that the only way to amass a fortune is by having power. With power comes the ability to control institutions and individuals.”

She said this may explain why politicians, including both the ministers for women, family and community development and education, appear to drag their feet when censuring the teacher who joked about rape and the male schoolmate of teenager Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, who threatened to rape her for supposedly tarnishing the reputation of their school.

She added: “Ministers know that to sack the teacher, were he to be found guilty, would cause great unhappiness in the ranks. There are many skeletons in the closets of the Education Ministry.”

Mariam said the greed and desire of the political leaders  to hold on to their positions renders them impotent to act.

“Greedy, irresponsible politicians tear the nation apart”, she said.

If every Malaysian will ponder this question “What is driving Malaysia apart?”, may  be Malaysia can be saved from the trajectory of a kleptocracy, kakistocracy,  a rogue and  failed state.

It is not race or religion that drive Malaysians apart, but extremist and intolerant politics of race and religion using lies, falsehoods and fake news in an age of information which drive Malaysians apart.

Otherwise, as a nation of diverse races, languages, religions and cultures, Malaysia is condemned to be a failed state, never to fulfil Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman’s aspiration to be “a beacon of light in a disturbed and distracted world”.

Older generations of Malaysians still remember fondly the days of  their youth when the country was not so deeply divided by race and religion.

When and why did Malaysians  lose their innocence for a united country?

Why can’t Malaysia leverage on the best values and virtues of the four great civilisations which meet in confluence in Malaysia – Malay/Islamic, Chinese, Indian and Western – to build a great Malaysian civilisation instead of providing to the world a spectacle of a Clash of Civilisations?

In January this year, I suggested that all political parties meet in a National Conference to  establish a new national consensus to return to the path to make Malaysia a world-class great nation and to address the two great issues of the new year – the worsening  Covid-19 pandemic and corruption?

Is this too tall an order for Malaysia?

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, May 18, 2021)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 18 May 2021, 1:30 pm and is filed under
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