Is there any explanation why we are heading towards over 6,000 Covid-19 deaths in the month of August – the National Day month  –  when in August last year there were only two Covid-19 deaths?

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

Is there any explanation why Malaysia is heading towards over 6,000 Covid-19 deaths in the month of August – the National Day month – when in August last year there were only two Covid-19 deaths?

In the first eleven days of August, there had been 2,349 Covid-19 deaths when in the first month of the Emergency from January 11 – Feb. 10, 2021, there had only been 268 Covid-19 deaths!

A community activist Dr. Mohamed Rafick Khan had observed in his blog that the two per cent of Covid-19 cases in Stage 3, 4 and 5 had remained constant even before vaccination started globally.

As Dr. Rafick pointed out: “Vaccination did not shift this percentage. It remains at 98%.”

Dr. Rafick said the 2% had remained constant but the distribution of cases within stages 3-5 and deaths had worsened.

He said: “This has nothing to do with vaccination. The distribution and death stats degradation due to poor capacity and capabilities at the hospitals. It relates to medical staff fatigue and serious loss of motivation.

“We are facing this issue today because policy-makers have not paid adequate attention to hospital development. They had relied on the private sector to provide the services. We have not hired and trained adequate medical resources.

“So when KKM and MKN are using the new parameters under NRP to determine the phases, the public needs to understand the meaning of hospital admission data and deaths numbers.

“The improving phase does not mean the situation on the ground is improving. If vaccination is effective, death and Stage 5 numbers will be closer to nill, and we should have more patients in Stages 3 and 4. We must remain vigilant and guarded.”

As it is, we seem to be helpless to prevent the National Day Month from being the most tragic month of the 20-month Covid-19 pandemic – with a cumulative total of over 1.7 million Covid-19 cases and over 15,000 Covid-19 deaths.

Yesterday, we were the world’s top 11th country in daily new Covid-19 deaths.

This is not yet taking into account the unprecedented high suicide and suicide-attempt rates in the country as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

While there is lot of talk about decriminalising suicide attempts, criminal charges are still be preferred against those attempting suicide, although what they needed most are psychiatric help and not to be treated as criminals.

Until legislative action is taken to decriminalise suicide attempts, I call on the government to demonstrate compassion and empathy and announce an immediate moratorium and halt all prosecution of pending suicide attempt cases.

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

Adakah terdapat sebarang penjelasan tentang mengapa kita sedang menuju ke arah untuk merekodkan lebih dari 6,000 kes kematian akibat Covid-19 pada bulan Ogos – iaitu bulan Hari Kebangsaan – sedangkan pada bulan Ogos tahun lalu hanya dua kes kematian akibat wabak itu dicatatkan?

Adakah terdapat sebarang penjelasan tentang mengapa kita sedang menuju ke arah untuk merekodkan lebih dari 6,000 kes kematian akibat Covid-19 pada bulan Ogos – iaitu bulan Hari Kebangsaan – sedangkan pada bulan Ogos tahun lalu hanya dua kematian akibat wabak itu dicatatkan?

Pada sebelas hari pertama bulan Ogos, terdapat 2,349 kematian akibat Covid-19 dicatatkan sedangkan semasa bulan pertama pelaksanaan Darurat dari 11 Januari – 10 Februari 2021, hanya 268 kes kematian akibat Covid-19 direkodkan di negara ini!

Seorang aktivis masyarakat Dr. Mohamed Rafick Khan telah menulis pemerhatian beliau di blognya bahawa dua peratus kes Covid-19 di Tahap 3, 4 dan 5 tetap berterusan dicatatkan sebelum vaksinasi bermula di peringkat global.

Seperti yang diperkatakan Dr. Rafick: “Vaksinasi tidak mengubah peratusan ini. Ia kekal pada 98%.”

Dr. Rafick berkata bahawa peratusan 2% tersebut tetap berterusan tetapi taburan kes dalam tahap 3-5 dan kematian akibat wabak berkenaan semakin memburuk.

Katanya: “Ini tiada kaitan dengan vaksinasi. Taburan dan statistik angka kematian yang semakin teruk adalah disebabkan oleh kapasiti dan keupayaan yang lemah di hospital. Ini berkaitan dengan keletihan kakitangan perubatan dan kehilangan motivasi yang serius.

“Kita menghadapi masalah ini ketika ini kerana pembuat dasar belum memberikan perhatian yang mencukupi terhadap perkembangan di hospital. Mereka bergantung pada sektor swasta untuk menyediakan perkhidmatan tersebut. Kita belum mengambil dan melatih kakitangan perubatan yang mencukupi.

“Justeru apabila KKM dan MKN menggunakan parameter baru di bawah PPN untuk menentukan fasa, orang ramai perlu memahami maksud data kemasukan ke hospital dan angka kematian.

“Peralihan dari Fasa ke Fasa tidak bererti keadaan di lapangan semakin baik. Sekiranya vaksinasi berkesan, angka kematian dan jumlah pesakit yang berada di Tahap 5 akan semakin berkurangan, dan kita sepatutnya hanya merawat pesakit di Tahap 3 dan 4. Kita mesti tetap perlu berwaspada dan berjaga-jaga.”

Seperti sekarang, kita nampaknya tidak berdaya untuk mengelakkan Bulan Hari Kebangsaan tahun ini menjadi bulan paling tragis sepanjang Covid-19 merebak sejak 20 bulan yang lalu – dengan jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 melebihi 1.7 juta kes dan lebih daripada 15,000 kematian akibat wabak itu.

Semalam, kita adalah negara ke-11 teratas di dunia dalam kes kematian harian baharu akibat Covid-19.

Ini belum lagi mengambil kira tahap percubaan bunuh diri dan kes bunuh diri yang tinggi yang belum pernah terjadi sebelum ini di negara ini ekoran kesan penularan wabak Covid-19.

Ketika ramai orang memperkatakan tentang isu percubaan membunuh diri, tuduhan jenayah tetap menjadi pilihan pihak berkuasa terhadap mereka yang cuba membunuh diri, sedangkan yang paling mereka perlukan adalah sokongan psikiatri dan bukannya diperlakukan seperti penjenayah.

Sehingga tindakan perundangan diambil untuk melaksanakan nyahjenayah terhadap percubaan bunuh diri, saya meminta kerajaan untuk menunjukkan belas kasihan dan empati dengan mengumumkan moratorium segera dan menghentikan semua pendakwaan kes percubaan bunuh diri yang belum selesai.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Khamis, 12 Ogos 2021)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 12 August 2021, 8:37 am and is filed under
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Is Malaysia prepared for a Covid-19 Delta Variant surge?

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

According to the recent testimony by the head of the Oxford Vaccine Group, Professor Sir Andrew :Pollard to the United Kingdom all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on coronavirus, reaching herd immunity is “not a possibility” with the current Delta variant.

The British media reported the evidence of Pollard to the UK parliamentary group on

Tuesday who said that the fact that vaccines did not stop the spread of Covid-19 meant reaching the threshold for overall immunity in the population was “mythical”.

He said: “The problem with this virus is [it is] not measles. If 95% of people were vaccinated against measles, the virus cannot transmit in the population.

“The Delta variant will still infect people who have been vaccinated. And that does mean that anyone who’s still unvaccinated at some point will meet the virus … and we don’t have anything that will [completely] stop that transmission.”

The authorities should take fully into account that although the existing vaccines are very effective at preventing serious Covid illness and death, they do not stop a fully vaccinated person from being infected by the virus that causes Covid-19.

The concept of herd or population immunity relies on a large majority of a population gaining immunity – either through vaccination or previous infection – which, in turn, provides indirect protection from an infectious disease for the unvaccinated and those who have never been previously infected.

Data from a recent study conducted by Imperial College London suggested that fully vaccinated people aged 18 to 64 have about a 49% lower risk of being infected compared with unvaccinated people. The findings also indicated that fully vaccinated people were about half as likely to test positive after coming into contact with someone who had Covid (3.84%, down from 7.23%).

How can Malaysia claim to have a “whole-of-nation” strategy and approach in the war against Covid-19 when Parliament is locked down and Parliamentary Select Committees are prevented from functioning?

We must take the further steps to firstly, accelerate the slow national vaccination rollout to avoid the pandemic of the unvaccinated, as we have so far only fully vaccinated some 30 per cent of the population while some 50 per cent of the population had received the first dose of the vaccine; and secondly, to prepare the public health system, which is near breaking point in certain areas, to be able to cope with increased demands for ICU units, hospital beds, oxygen supplies and medical support when there is a surge of new Covid-19 cases resulting from Delta, Delta Plus, Lambda and other more transmissible and virulent variants, some of which may be resistant to existing vaccines.

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

Adakah Malaysia bersedia untuk berdepan ancaman Varian Delta yang semakin meningkat?

Menurut testimoni baru-baru ini oleh Ketua Kumpulan Vaksin Oxford, Profesor Sir Andrew Pollard kepada kumpulan parlimen seluruh parti (APPG) United Kingdom mengenai coronavirus, mencapai imuniti kelompok “bukanlah suatu kemungkinan” dengan penularan varian Delta yang ada sekarang.

Media Britain melaporkan bukti yang dikemukakan Pollard kepada kumpulan parlimen UK pada Selasa yang mengatakan hakikat bahawa vaksin tidak dapat menghentikan penyebaran Covid-19 bermaksud usaha untuk mencapai ambang imuniti secara keseluruhan dalam populasi sebenarnya adalah suatu “mitos”.

Beliau berkata: “Masalah dengan virus ini ialah ia bukannya penyakit campak. Sekiranya 95% populasi diberi vaksin campak, virus tersebut tidak dapat menular dalam masyarakat.

“Varian Delta masih akan menjangkiti orang yang telah divaksin. Dan itu bermaksud bahawa sesiapa yang masih belum divaksin akan dijangkiti virus… dan kita tidak mempunyai apa-apa yang akan [sepenuhnya] menghentikan penularannya.”

Pihak berkuasa harus mengambil kira hakikat bahawa meskipun vaksin yang ada sangat efektif untuk mencegah penyakit dan kematian Covid yang serius, ia tidak menghentikan seseorang yang telah diberikan vaksin sepenuhnya daripada dijangkiti Covid-19.

Konsep imuniti kelompok atau populasi bergantung pada sebilangan besar populasi yang memperoleh imuniti – sama ada melalui vaksinasi atau jangkitan sebelumnya – yang, pada gilirannya, memberikan perlindungan tidak langsung dari penyakit berjangkit bagi yang tidak divaksin dan mereka yang tidak pernah dijangkiti sebelumnya.

Data dari kajian baru-baru ini yang dijalankan oleh Imperial College London menunjukkan bahawa individu berusia 18 hingga 64 tahun yang telah divaksin sepenuhnya mempunyai risiko 49% lebih rendah untuk dijangkiti berbanding dengan individu yang tidak divaksin. Hasil kajian itu juga menunjukkan bahawa individu yang diberi vaksin sepenuhnya separuh kemungkinan akan didapati positif setelah bersentuhan dengan seseorang yang menghidap Covid (3,84%, turun dari 7,23%).

Bagaimana Malaysia boleh mengaku memiliki strategi dan pendekatan “keseluruhan negara” dalam perang melawan Covid-19, sedangkan Parlimen dikunci dan Jawatankuasa Pilihan Parlimen dihalang daripada berfungsi?

Kita harus mengambil langkah selanjutnya, pertama; mempercepat program vaksinasi negara yang ketika ini agak perlahan untuk mengelakkan berlakunya pandemik di kalangan individu yang tidak divaksin (pandemic of the unvaccinated), kerana setakat ini hanya 30 peratus populasi telah diberikan vaksin sepenuhnya sementara sekitar 50 peratus populasi telah menerima satu dos vaksin; dan kedua, untuk mempersiapkan sistem kesihatan awam, yang kini berada di ambang kelumpuhan di kawasan tertentu, supaya peningkatan permintaan ICU, katil hospital, bekalan oksigen dan sokongan perubatan dapat diatasi apabila berlaku lonjakan kes Covid-19 yang baru ekoran daripada penularan varian Delta, Delta Plus, Lambda dan varian lain yang lebih mudah ditularkan dan menular, yang mana antaranya mungkin kebal terhadap vaksin.

(Kenyataan Media (2) oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Jumaat, 13 Ogos 2021)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 13 August 2021, 3:09 pm and is filed under
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Will Noor Hisham’s forecast three weeks ago that Malaysia will climb to 24,000 Covid-19 cases a day in mid-September come one month earlier in mid-August?

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

Will the Health director-general, Noor Hisham Abdulah’s prediction three weeks ago that Malaysia may reach the peak of Covid-19 transmissions in mid-September with 24,000 cases a day come one month earlier in mid-August?

For the last six days, the daily new Covid-19 death have exceeded 200 cases, ranging from 201 cases on 10th August to 360 cases on 8th August.

If the daily rolling average of the past six days represent the daily average for the rest of August, then we are set to have a very grim 64th National Day on August 31 as we may reach a cumulative total of 1.7 million Covid-19 cases and over 15,000 deaths.

We may suffer over 6,000 Covid-19 deaths in the month of August alone, when we took 13 months to reach the first thousand Covid-19 deaths on Feb. 17, 2021 when we recorded a cumulative total of 1,005 Covid-19 deaths.

When Noor Hisham projected that Malaysia might reach the peak of Covid-19 transmissions in mid-September, he was not expecting his prediction to come true, as he was presenting the worst-case scenario which he hoped would be averted.

The last thing Noor Hisham expected is for his prediction to be proven true one month earlier – another indication of the shocking mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia which had catapulted the country to be one of the worst performing nations in the world in the Covid-19 pandemic!

Community activist Dr. Mohamad Rafick Khan has described as “a suicidal move” any intention to follow through with the original plan by the Ministry of Education to reopen school which was announced on July 17, 2021.

When the Ministry of Education announced the decision on July 17, there were 12,541 daily new Covid-9 cases on and daily new 115 Covid-19 deaths on July 16. Yesterday, there were 21,668 new Covid-19 cases and 318 Covid-19 deaths.

On July 16, there were the cumulative total of 893,323 Covid-190 cases and 6,728 Covid-19 deaths. Yesterday, they have surged to 1,342,215 Covid-19 cases and 11,691 Covid-19 deaths.

I agree with Dr. Rafick that for a school to re-open under the Covid-19 pandemic, it must have a good COVID Risk Management Manual (CRMM) which empowers a risk management committee, provides the necessary funding and implement the Covid Risk Management Guidelines (CMRG) in schools. Risk management is a combined effort of the school, parents and medical professionals.

Covid-19 Risk Management (CRM) varies with the type of school. There might be a common component but in general, the variation is attributed to whether the school is boarding or non-boarding and the age of the students.

Vaccination is a component of Covid-19 Risk Management Guidelines (CRMG), but most importantly CRMM is designed to be preventive in nature and management of an outbreak to contain those infected and prevent further infection.

The Ministry of Education must reconsider its decision to re-open schools on Sept. 1 and engage in discussion with teachers, parents and medical practitioners on the issue.

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

Adakah ramalan Noor Hisham pada tiga minggu lalu bahawa jumlah kes Covid-19 di Malaysia dijangka akan meningkat sehingga 24,000 sehari pada pertengahan September akan terjadi satu bulan lebih awal iaitu pada pertengahan Ogos ini?

Adakah ramalan Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah pada tiga minggu lalu bahawa jumlah kes Covid-19 di Malaysia dijangka akan meningkat sehingga 24,000 sehari pada pertengahan September akan terjadi satu bulan lebih awal iaitu pada pertengahan Ogos ini?

Dalam tempoh enam hari yang lalu, kes kematian harian baharu telah melebihi paras 200, antara 201 kes pada 10 Ogos hingga 360 kes pada 8 Ogos.

Sekiranya purata kes harian untuk enam hari lalu mewakili purata kes harian untuk sepanjang bulan Ogos, maka kita akan menyambut Hari Kebangsaan ke-64 pada 31 Ogos dalam suasana yang suram kerana kita bakal mengumpulkan sebanyak 1.7 juta kes Covid-19 dan merekodkan lebih 15,000 kematian.

Kita mungkin bakal melihat 6,000 kematian akibat Covid-19 dicatatkan pada bulan Ogos sahaja, sedangkan kita mengambil masa selama 13 bulan untuk mencapai jumlah seribu kematian yang pertama pada 17 Februari 2021 dengan 1,005 orang.

Semasa Dr Noor Hisham meramalkan bahawa Malaysia mungkin mencapai tahap kemuncak penularan Covid-19 pada pertengahan September, beliau tidak menyangka ramalannya akan menjadi kenyataan, kerana beliau hanya memberikan gambaran situasi terburuk yang beliau sendiri berharap dapat dielakkan.

Perkara terakhir yang diharapkan oleh Noor Hisham adalah untuk melihat ramalannya terjadi sebulan lebih awal – satu lagi bukti kesilapan kerajaan dalam menangani wabak Covid-19 di Malaysia yang telah meletakkan negara ini menjadi salah satu negara dengan prestasi terburuk di dunia dalam mengendalikan wabak tersebut!

Aktivis masyarakat, Dr. Mohamad Rafick Khan menyifatkan sebarang keputusan untuk mengikut rancangan asal pembukaan semula sekolah seperti yang diumumkan Kementerian Pendidikan pada 17 Julai 2021 sebagai suatu “tindakan bunuh diri”.

Semasa Kementerian Pendidikan mengumumkan keputusan itu pada 17 Julai, terdapat 12,541 kes Covid-19 dan 115 kematian pada hari sebelumnya, 16 Julai. Semalam, terdapat 21,668 kes baru Covid-19 dengan 318 kematian dicatatkan.

Pada 16 Julai, jumlah kes kumulatif Covid-19 adalah 893,323 dengan 6,728 kematian. Hari ini, angka itu meningkat kepada 1,342,215 kes dengan 11,691 kematian.

Saya bersetuju dengan Dr. Rafick bahawa untuk sekolah dibuka semula semasa musim wabak Covid-19, ia mesti mempunyai Manual Pengurusan Risiko COVID (CRMM) yang baik yang memberi kuasa kepada jawatankuasa pengurusan risiko, menyediakan dana yang diperlukan dan melaksanakan Garis Panduan Pengurusan Risiko Covid (CMRG) di sekolah. Pengurusan risiko adalah usaha gabungan sekolah, ibu bapa dan profesional perubatan.

Pengurusan Risiko Covid-19 (CRM) berlainan untuk setiap jenis sekolah. Mungkin ada komponen yang sama tetapi secara umum, kelainan itu bergantung kepada jenis sekolah tersebut; sama ada sekolah berasrama penuh atau bukan asrama selain mengambil kira usia pelajar.

Vaksinasi adalah komponen Garis Panduan Pengurusan Risiko Covid-19 (CRMG), tetapi yang paling penting CRMM dirancang dengan tujuan pencegahan dan pengurusan wabak untuk mengesan mereka yang dijangkiti dan mencegah jangkitan lanjut.

Kementerian Pendidikan harus mempertimbangkan semula keputusannya untuk membuka semula sekolah pada 1 September dan mengadakan perbincangan dengan guru, ibu bapa dan pengamal perubatan mengenai isu tersebut.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Jumaat, 13 Ogos 2021)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 13 August 2021, 7:28 am and is filed under
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Can Malaysia reset to achieve the Malaysian Dream for the country to be a  world-class great  nation by ending the carnage of the Covid-19 pandemic  and starting  anew to build on our strength and capabilities?

The Malaysian political crisis is moving at a rapid pace while Covid-19 pandemic is worsening with ever  grim reports about new Covid-19 cases and deaths.

On Friday evening, the Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in a live telecast presented  a seven-point framework for bipartisan co-operation but within 24 hours there were rife rumours that he  will resign when he meets the Yang di Pertuan Agong on Monday as Cabinet members were unaware of the contents of the  proposals.

Yesterday, we set another dubious record in the 20-month Covid-19 pandemic – breaking the 11th  thousand-deaths mark in four days to record a cumulative total of 12,228 Covid-19 deaths.

We took 13 months on Feb. 17, 2021 to pass the 1,000 Covid-19 deaths when we registered 1,005 deaths; two months to cross the second thousand Covid-19 deaths;  half-a-month to pass the third thousand Covid-19 deaths; 12 days to pass the fourth thousand deaths;  13 days to pass the fifth thousand deaths; 12 days to pass the sixth thousand deaths; eight days to pass the seven and eight  thousand deaths;  five days to pass the ninth, tenth and eleven thousand deaths; and four days to pass the twelve thousand deaths.

From the present rate of infection, we  will break the 1.4 million mark for cumulative total of Covid-19 cases today, pass  1.5 million  Covid-19 cases  before August 21 and pass the 1.7 million mark for Covid-19 cases when we mark our 64th National Day – making it the grimmest National Day in Malaysian history with over 1.7 million cumulative total of Covid-19 cases and over 15,000 Covid-19 deaths.

When we marked our 63rd National Day on August 31, 2020, there was a cumulative total of 9,340 Covid-19 cases and 127 Covid-19 deaths – an humongous increase of 182 times for  the number of Covid-19 cases and 118 times the number of Covid-19 deaths in the last 12 months!

We were ranked No. 89 among countries with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases on the 63rd  National Day, but we have so deteriorated in the mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic, we are likely to ranked No. 25 on the 64th National Day, overtaking  Canada and Bangladesh which are currently ranked No. 25 and 26 respectively.

Such grim figures are  the result of  the worst mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic and there is no doubt that the Prime Minister must assume responsibility  for it and  should   resign to  give way to Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister to end the mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic with its ensuing  economic crisis and to save the lives of Malaysians.

However, it would be disastrous  if Muhyiddin’s resignation result in a constitutional deadlock or a Prime Minister who will only continue with the kakistocracy of the present government.

Imagine the consequences of  a three-month constitutional deadlock for we are looking at the horrific figures of  a cumulative total of over three million Covid-19 cases and over 30,000 Covid-19 deaths – which every Malaysian want to avoid.

The Covid-19 Pandemic is Malaysia’s  No. 1 Public Enemy.

Malaysians regardless of race, religion, region or politics must consider all possibilities to bring the Covid-19 pandemic under control so that we can end the carnage of the Covid-19 pandemic, reset and start anew to achieve the Malaysian Dream for Malaysia to be a world-class great nation by  building on our strengths and capabilities and  by upholding  the principles of  good governance, rule of law, separation of powers, constitutional monarchy based on parliamentary democracy as  embedded in the Constitution and Rukun Negara.

Ever since the declaration of Emergency on January 11, 2021 purportedly to combat

Covid-19 pandemic, the public health crisis has deteriorated and the eight months after the emergency have been responsible for over 91 per cent of the Covid-19 cases and over 95 per cent of the Covid-19 deaths in Malaysia.

We just cannot allow the Covid-19 pandemic to continue and deteriorate.

For these reasons, we must  be open-minded about discussions to end the multiple Malaysian crisis – Covid-19, economic and political.

But any discussion must be subject to two principles: firstly,  there must be  an offer which is a  game-changer  by the Muhyiddin government which can bring the  Covid-19 pandemic under control as well as to address  the political and economic crisis,  and secondly, that it must secure the approval of the DAP and  Pakatan Harapan and is in the interest of the country.

For the past  months of the Covid-19 pandemic, I have been worrying about  the future of Malaysia – how to  fulfil the aspiration of Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman for Malaysia to be a “beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.

But first of all, Malaysians must themselves be able to see this “beacon of light” in Malaysia?

It is not too late for Malaysians to re-unite to ensure that Malaysia does not become a kleptocracy, kakistocracy or a failed state.

We must save Malaysia so that we can achieve  our destiny to be a world-class great nation.

But only Malaysians, regardless of ethnicity, religion, region or politics, can save Malaysia.

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

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 15 August 2021, 11:28 am and is filed under
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Malaysia needs Anwar Ibrahim as new Prime Minister to bring in  new team and new policies to end the carnage of Covid-19 pandemic and ignite anew the Malaysian Dream

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

Malaysia needs Anwar Ibrahim as new Prime Minister of Malaysia to bring in a new team and new policies to end the carnage of Covid-19 pandemic and ignite anew the Malaysian Dream as Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri had been public face of the government mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic which had caused over 12,500 deaths and 1.4 million Covid-19 cases.

Unless there is new leadership and new policies, Malaysia is heading towards over 15,000 deaths and over 1.7 million Covid-19 cases when we grimly mark our 64th National Day on August 31.

There will be no change of policy direction whether on the Covid-19 pandemic, economic revival or breakaway from the nation-building policies which have caused more and more observers to remark that Malaysia is stuck in the trajectory towards a failed state.

Ismail Sabri as Prime Minister will mean more of the same policies of kakistocracy and kleptocracy which can only end up in Malaysia as a failed state.

Malaysia needs a new Prime Minister and a new leadership where Malaysians, regardless of ethnicity, religion, region or politics, can again dream the Malaysian Dream of Malaysia as a world-class great nation and to take steps to fulfil Bapa Malaysia’s aspiration to make Malaysia “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.

Since 1970, the GDP of Malaysia has increased 90 times but Indonesia has increased by 117 times, Vietnam 122 times, China 163 times, Singapore 175 times and South Korea 178 times.

After the past 50 years, both Singapore and Vietnam have overtaken Malaysia in having larger GDPs.

In 50 years’ time, will we be overtaking other countries and will more countries be overtaking us?

We want a Prime Minister and a new leadership planning for Malaysia in 2070 and not worrying about their survival in Parliament or just how to gain control of Covid-19 pandemic.

A Prime Minister and leadership for the future of all Malaysians – today and tomorrow!

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

Malaysia memerlukan Anwar Ibrahim sebagai Perdana Menteri baharu untuk membawa masuk pasukan dan dasar-dasar baharu yang boleh menghentikan kemusnahan akibat Covid-19 dan juga menyalakan semangat untuk Impian Malaysia, bukannya Ismail Sabri yang telah menjadi muka awam kerajaan yang gagal menguruskan wabak Covid-19 sehinggalah negara kita menyaksikan lebih daripada 12,500 kematian dan lebih daripada 1.4 juta kes

Malaysia memerlukan Anwar Ibrahim sebagai Perdana Menteri baharu untuk membawa masuk pasukan dan dasar-dasar baharu yang boleh menghentikan kemusnahan akibat Covid-19 dan juga menyalakan semangat untuk Impian Malaysia, bukannya Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Ismail Sabri, yang telah menjadi muka awam kerajaan yang gagal menguruskan wabak Covid-19 sehinggalah negara kita menyaksikan lebih daripada 12,500 kematian dan lebih daripada 1.4 juta kes.

Melainkan terdapatnya kepimpinan dan dasar-dasar baharu, Malaysia akan terus menuju ke arah 15,000 kematian dan lebih daripada 1.7 juta kes Covid-19 semasa kita menyambutkan Hari Kebangsaan ke-64 pada 31 Ogos.

Tidak akan ada perubahan arah dasar, sama ada dalam pengurusan pandemik Covid-19, kebangkitan semula ekonomi, atau dasar pembangunan negara bangsa yang telah menyebabkan negara dikatakan sebagai berada dalam arah menjadi sebuah negara gagal oleh para pemerhati politik.

Ismail Sabri sebagai Perdana Menteri hanya akan meneruskan dasar kakistokrasi dan kleptokrasi sedia ada ini yang hanya akan menyebabkan Malaysia menjadi sebuah negara gagal.

Malaysia memerlukan seorang Perdana Menteri baharu dan kepimpinan baharu di mana semua rakyat Malaysia, tanpa mengira kaum, agama, kawasan, mahupun politik boleh bercita-cita dengan Impian Malaysia, di mana negara kita menjadi sebuah negara berkelas dunia, dan mengambil langkah untuk memenuhi aspirasi Bapa Malaysia untuk menjadikan negara kita “sinar cahaya dalam dunia yang kelam dan terganggu”.

Sejak tahun 1970, KDNK Malaysia telah berkembang sebanyak 90 kali ganda, namun begitu angka ini untuk Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Singapura, dan Korea Selatan, masing-masing berkembang sebanyak 117, 122, 163, 175, dan 178 kali ganda.

Selepas 50 tahun, kedua-dua Singapura dan Vietnam telah mengatasi kedudukan Malaysia dengan KDNK yang lebih besar.

Dalam masa 50 tahun yang akan datang, adakah kita akan mengatasi negara lain atau akan ada lebih banyak negara lain yang mengatasi kita?

Kita mahukan seorang Perdana Menteri dan pimpinan yang boleh merancang untuk Malaysia dalam tahun 2070, bukannya seorang Perdana Menteri yang hanya akan bimbang mengenai kelangsungan karier politiknya di Parlimen atau hanya menumpukan usaha untuk mengawal wabak Covid-19 sahaja.

Seorang Perdana Menteri untuk masa hadapan semua rakyat Malaysia — hari ini dan yang akan datang!

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Isnin, 16 Ogos 2021)

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Malaysia must stop setting new records in the Covid-19 pandemic if  we are to gain control of the invisible but lethal war against the coronavirus

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

Malaysia set two new records in the Covid-19 pandemic yesterday.

Firstly, we took three days to cross the thousand mark for Covid-19 deaths from 12,000 to 13,000, as the cumulative total of Covid-19 deaths yesterday was 13,077.

We took 13 months on Feb. 17, 2021 to pass the 1,000 Covid-19 deaths when we registered 1,005 deaths; two months to cross the second thousand Covid-19 deaths; half-a-month to pass the third thousand Covid-19 deaths; 12 days to pass the fourth thousand deaths; 13 days to pass the fifth thousand deaths; 12 days to pass the sixth thousand deaths; eight days to pass the seven and eight thousand deaths; five days to pass the ninth, tenth and eleven thousand deaths; and four days to pass the twelve thousand deaths. Now we have taken three days to pass the 13th thousand mark.

Secondly, we have overtaken Bangladesh to be ranked No. 26 among nations in the world with the most cumulative total of 1,444,270 Covid-19 cases.

At the present rate of infection, we will overtake Canada today to be ranked No. 25 among nations in the world with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases.

It is a mark of Malaysia catapulting to be one of the worst performing nations in the Covid-19 pandemic that when we marked our 63rd National Day on August 31 last year, we were ranked No. 89 among nations with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases, and in the past 12 months, we have so deteriorated as to overtake 64 countries, including China (which had gone from No. 1 to No. 107), Israel, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and UAE.

At the rate of present infection, Malaysia will deteriorate further and is likely to overtake Chile and Czechia by August 31 to be ranked No. 23rd among countries with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases, and the next question is whether Malaysia will overtake Philippines to be ranked No. 22 by the 58th Malaysia Day on Sept. 16, making Malaysia the second worst –performing country in ASEAN in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, we have kept our position among the world’s Top 10 countries with the most daily Covid-19 deaths, and our place among the world’s Top 12 countries with the most daily new Covid-19 cases.

We grieve at the high cost of human toll and suffering which the Covid-19 pandemic has wrought, with the loss of over 13,000 lives and the high rate of suicides. There is also a high incidence of Death on Arrival (DOA), responsible for as many as one-third of daily death rate in the 200-300 region. There are at present a quarter of a million people on treatment.

We are in race against time to complete the national vaccination rollout with the threat of the more transmissible and virulent Delta variant and other variants which may be resistant to existing vaccines.

I have said that Malaysia will be set on the path to return to normality when we stop setting dubious new records in the Covid-19 pandemic, sometimes multiple records a day.

It is tragic that after 20 months, it is still not universally appreciated that we have been fighting a losing war against the Covid-19 pandemic, and unless we gain control of this invisible but lethal war with a “whole-of-society” strategy and approach, no economic and national reconstruction can begin.

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

Malaysia perlu berhenti pecah rekod baharu kes Covid-19 jika kita mahu menguasai peperangan melawan koronavirus yang merupakan musuh yang tidak kelihatan tetapi amat berbahaya

Malaysia mencipta dua rekod baru membabitkan wabak Covid-19 semalam.

Pertama, kita mengambil masa tiga hari untuk melepasi paras seribu kes kematian akibat Covid-19 dari 12,000 kepada 13,000 — jumlah kumulatif kes kematian akibat Covid-19 setakat ini adalah 13,077.

Kita mengambil masa 13 bulan pada 17 Februari 2021 untuk melepasi paras 1,000 kes kematian akibat Covid-19 dengan 1,005 kes kematian dicatatkan ketika itu; dua bulan untuk melepasi paras seribu kematian yang kedua; setengah bulan untuk melepasi paras seribu kematian yang ketiga; 12 hari untuk melepasi paras seribu kematian yang keempat; 13 hari untuk melepasi paras seribu yang kelima; 12 hari untuk melepasi paras seribu kematian yang keenam; lapan hari untuk melepasi paras seribu kematian yang ketujuh dan kelapan; lima hari untuk melepasi paras seribu kematian yang kesembilan, kesepuluh dan ke-11; dan empat hari untuk melepasi jumlah keseluruhan 12,000 kematian. Kini, kita mengambil masa tiga hari untuk melepasi angka 13,000.

Kedua, kita telah mengatasi Bangladesh untuk berada di tangga ke-26 antara negara-negara di dunia dengan jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 tertinggi sebanyak 1,444,270.

Pada kadar jangkitan semasa, kita akan mengatasi Kanada hari ini untuk berada di tangga ke-25 antara negara-negara di dunia dengan jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 tertinggi.

Ini adalah tanda bahawa Malaysia telah tercampak jauh menjadi salah satu negara dengan prestasi terburuk dalam menangani wabak Covid-19 sedangkan semasa ketika kita menyambut Hari Kebangsaan ke-63 pada 31 Ogos tahun lalu, kita berada di kedudukan ke-89 antara negara-negara dengan jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 tertinggi, dan sepanjang 12 bulan lalu, prestasi kita semakin memburuk sehingga mengatasi 64 negara, termasuk China (yang telah beralih dari kedudukan pertama ke kedudukan ke-107), Israel, Korea Selatan, Jepun, Arab Saudi, Pakistan dan UAE.

Pada kadar jangkitan semasa, kedudukan Malaysia akan merosot lebih jauh dan kemungkinan akan mengatasi Chile dan Czechia pada 31 Ogos dan berada di kedudukan ke-23 antara negara-negara dengan jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 tertinggi, dan persoalan berikutnya adalah adakah Malaysia akan mengatasi Filipina untuk berada di kedudukan ke-22 menjelang Hari Malaysia ke-58 pada 16 September, menjadikan Malaysia sebagai negara kedua terburuk di ASEAN dalam pengurusan wabak Covid-19.

Sementara itu, kita masih mengekalkan kedudukan kita sebagai antara 10 negara teratas di dunia dengan jumlah kes harian kematian akibat Covid-19 tertinggi, dan antara 12 negara teratas di dunia dengan jumlah kes harian baharu Covid-19 tertinggi.

Kita berduka cita melihat angka korban yang begitu tinggi dan penderitaan yang ditinggalkan Covid-19, dengan lebih 13,000 nyawa telah terkorban selain kadar kes bunuh diri yang melonjak di negara ini. Terdapat juga kejadian kematian sebelum tiba di hospital (BID) yang tinggi, yang mewakili satu pertiga kadar kes kematian harian yang akhir-akhirnya dicatatkan sekitar 200-300. Ketika ini terdapat satu perempat juta pesakit Covid-19 yang sedang dirawat.

Kita sedang mengejar masa untuk melengkapkan program vaksinasi negara di tengah-tengah ancaman varian Delta yang lebih mudah menular dan virus serta varian lain yang mungkin mempunyai kekebalan terhadap vaksin sedia ada.

Saya pernah berkata bahawa Malaysia akan beransur-ansur kembali ke kehidupan normal selepas kita berhenti memecahkan rekod baru membabitkan wabak Covid-19.

Amat menyedihkan, kita masih tewas setelah berhempas pulas selama 20 bulan berperang dengan Covid-19, dan melainkan kita dapat menguasai peperangan melawan koronavirus yang merupakan musuh yang tidak kelihatan tetapi amat berbahaya dengan pendekatan dan strategi “keseluruhan masyarakat”, pembangunan ekonomi dan negara akan terus terbantut.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Rabu, 18 Ogos 2021)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 August 2021, 8:31 am and is filed under
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If there are only two names for the position of Prime Minister, then one can be Prime Minister and the other Deputy Prime Minister to form a war cabinet to combine all political forces in a War Parliament to gain control of the war against Covid-19 pandemic  and to pave the way for 15th General Election in 18 months’ time

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

If there are only two names for the position of Prime Minister, then one can be Prime Minister and the other Deputy Prime Minister to form a War Cabinet to combine all political forces in a War Parliament to gain control of the war against Covid-19 pandemic and to pave the way for the 15th General Election in 18 months’ time.

The War Cabinet should reflect this parliamentary unity to turn the tides of defeat in the 20-month war against the Covid-19 pandemic with a new policy and strategy to gain control of the Covid-19 pandemic and restore pubic hope, trust and confidence in a “whole-of-society” approach.

Yesterday, Malaysia continues to set new records in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Firstly, we set a new peak for daily new Covid-19 cases – 22, 242 cases.

Secondly, we overtook Canada and is now ranked No. 25 among countries with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases, when 12 months ago last year, we were ranked No. 89.

When Malaysia declared emergency on January 11, 2021 to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, there were 138,224 Covid-19 cases and 555 Covid-19 deaths.

Today, we have 1,466,512 Covid-19 cases and 13,302 Covid-19 deaths – a runaway scenario with over 10 times more Covid-19 cases and 24 times the Covid-19 deaths since the declaration of Emergency.

In fact, since in the past seven days, we had a total of 145,965 Covid-19 cases and 1,929 Covid-19 deaths.

This is Malaysia’s “darkest hour”. We must staunch the national haemorrhage to find our “finest hour” – and a War Cabinet and a War Parliament are the remedy for such dire times.

The War Parliament must forge national unity to wage the war against the Covid-19 pandemic with MPs playing a leading role in the various parliamentary select committees not only in the Covid-19 pandemic but to prepare the ground for an economic and national recovery to fulfil Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman’s aspiration for Malaysia to be “beacon of light to a difficult and distracted world”.

The War Cabinet and War Parliament must established on the bedrock principles in the Malaysian Constitution and the Rukun Negara of constitutional monarchy based on parliamentary democracy, the doctrine of the separation of powers, uphold the rule of law, good governance and human rights.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 19th August 2021)

Sekiranya hanya ada dua nama untuk jawatan Perdana Menteri, seorang boleh dilantik sebagai Perdana Menteri dan seorang lagi sebagai Timbalan Perdana Menteri untuk membentuk kabinet perang yang melibatkan semua kuasa politik di Parlimen untuk memenangi perang melawan penularan wabak Covid-19 sebelum Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 dalam masa 18 bulan

Sekiranya hanya ada dua nama untuk jawatan Perdana Menteri, seorang boleh dilantik sebagai Perdana Menteri dan seorang lagi sebagai Timbalan Perdana Menteri untuk membentuk kabinet perang yang melibatkan semua kuasa politik di Parlimen untuk memenangi perang melawan penularan wabak Covid-19 sebelum Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 dalam masa 18 bulan.

Kabinet Perang tersebut perlulah mencerminkan perpaduan Parlimen untuk mengubah nasib negara kita yang sedang kalah selama 20 bulan dengan wabak Covid-19 dengan membawa dasar-dasar dan strategi baharu untuk mengawal wabak ini dan mengembalikan harapan, keyakinan, dan kepercayaan rakyat kepada satu pendekatan yang melibatkan “keseluruhan masyarakat”.

Semalam, negara kita mencatatkan rekod baharu Covid-19 sekali lagi.

Pertamanya, kita mencatatkan kemuncak baharu 22,242 kes.

Kedua, kita mengatasi kedudukan Kanada dan kini berada di tempat ke-25 dengan jumlah kes tertinggi di dunia, sedangkan 12 bulan yang lepas kita berada di tempat ke-89.

Semasa Malaysia mengisytiharkan darurat pada 11 Januari 2021 untuk memerangi wabak ini, kita mencatatkan sejumlah 138,224 kes dan 555 kematian akibat Covid-19.

Hari ini, kita mempunyai 1,466,512 kes dan 13,302 kematian akibat Covid-19 — satu situasi yang kini berada di luar kawalan dengan 10 kali ganda lebih banyak kes dan 24 kali ganda lebih banyak kematian berbanding dengan semasa darurat diisytiharkan.

Malah, hanya dalam tujuh hari yang lepas sahaja, kita mencatatkan 145,965 kes dan 1,929 kematian akibat Covid-19.

Sekarang adalah antara masa yang paling kelam dalam sejarah negara. Kita perlu menghentikan pendarahan negara kita ini dan mencari penyelesaiannya — dan sebuah Kabinet Perang dan Parlimen Perang adalah salah satu penyelesaian kepada masalah seperti ini.

Parlimen perang ini perlulah membentuk perpaduan negara untuk memerangi wabak Covid-19 dengan Ahli-ahli Parlimen memainkan peranan di dalam pelbagai Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Parlimen, bukan sahaja untuk memerangi Covid-19, tetapi juga untuk menyediakan negara kita untuk pemulihan ekonomi dan kehidupan untuk memenuhi aspirasi Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, di mana Malaysia menjadi satu “sinar cahaya dalam dunia yang kelam dan terganggu”.

Kabinet Perang dan Parlimen Perang ini perlulah dibentuk di atas batu asas Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan Rukun Negara dan sistem monarki berperlembagaan yang berteraskan demokrasi berparlimen, doktrin pemisahan kuasa, kedaulatan undang-undang, tadbir urus yang baik, dan penghormatan kepada hak asasi manusia.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Khamis, 19 Ogos 2021)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 19 August 2021, 9:31 am and is filed under
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Malaysia faces  a grim future as it is set to pass the 1.5 million mark today,  pass 1.7 million mark for Covid-19 cases and over 15,000 Covid-9 deaths on 64th National Day on August 31 and pass  2 million mark for Covid-19 cases and over 19,000 Covid-19 deaths  on 58th Malaysia Day on Sept 16, 2021

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

Yesterday, we set a new record for daily new Covid-19 cases – 22,948 cases and today, we will set another new record by breaking the 1.5 million-mark for cumulative total of Covid-19 cases. Will we set another record on Saturday, 21st August, by breaking pass the 14,000 mark for Covid-19 deaths?

On January 11, 2021 when emergency was proclaimed to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a cumulative total of 138,224 Covid-19 cases and 555 Covid-19 deaths.

We have now a cumulative total 1,489,460 Covid-19 cases and 13,480 Covid-19 deaths – about 11 times the number of Covid-19 cases and 24 times the Covid-19 deaths since January 11 this year.

We are set to overtake Chile, in a week’s time, and the Czechia Republic in two days thereafter, to be ranked No. 23 among countries with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases, and the question is whether we will overtake Philippines, now ranked No. 22 among countries with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases by the 58th Malaysia Day.

Malaysia faces a grim future as it is set to pass 1.7 million mark for Covid-19 cases and over 15,000 Covid-19 deaths on 64th National Day on August 31 and pass the two million mark for Covid-19 cases and over 19,000 Covid-19 deaths on 58th Malaysia Day on Sept 16, 2021.

Can we avert these calamitous figures on Malaysia’s 64th National Day and 58th Malaysia Day?

This will the greatest test for the ninth Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Is he prepared to stake his premiership on his ability to turn the tides of defeat and gain control of the invisible but lethal war against the Covid-19 pandemic to save lives and livelihoods?

This is the question every Malaysian would be asking when the new Prime Minister is announced.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, 20th August 2021)

Malaysia berdepan masa depan suram apabila negara kita bakal melepasi tahap 1.5 juta kes hari ini, dan 1.7 juta kes Covid-19 dengan lebih dari 15,000 kematian akibat Covid-19 pada Hari Kebangsaan ke-64 pada 31 Ogos dan melepasi paras 2 juta kes Covid-19 dengan lebih 19,000 kematian pada Hari Malaysia, 16 September 2021

Semalam, kita memecahkan satu lagi rekod kes harian baharu Covid-19 — 22,948 kes dan hari ini, kita bakal memecahkan rekod lain dengan mencapai paras 1.5 juta untuk jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19. Adakah kita akan mencipta satu lagi rekod baharu pada Sabtu, 21 Ogos, dengan melepasi paras 14,000 untuk kematian akibat wabak itu?

Pada 11 Januari 2021, semasa darurat diisytiharkan untuk melawan wabak Covid-19, jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 di negara ini adalah sebanyak 138,224 dengan 555 kematian.

Kini, kita mempunyai jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 sebanyak 1,489,460 dengan 13,480 kematian — kira-kira 11 kali ganda jumlah kes Covid-19 dan 24 kali ganda jumlah kematian akibat wabak itu sejak 11 Januari tahun ini.

Kita bakal memintas Chile, dalam tempoh seminggu, dan Republik Czech dalam masa dua hari selepas itu, untuk berada di kedudukan ke-23 antara negara-negara dengan jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 tertinggi, dan berdepan persoalan sama ada kita juga bakal memintas Filipina, yang kini berada di kedudukan ke-22 dengan jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 tertinggi, menjelang sambutan Hari Malaysia ke-58.

Malaysia berdepan masa depan suram ekoran bakal melepasi paras 1.5 juta kes hari ini, dan melepasi paras 1.7 juta kes Covid-19 dengan lebih 15,000 kematian akibat Covid-19 pada Hari Kebangsaan ke-64 pada 31 Ogos dan melepasi paras 2 juta kes Covid-19 dengan lebih 19,000 kematian pada Hari Malaysia, 16 September 2021

Mampukah kita mengelakkan angka-angka mengerikan ini daripada direkodkan pada Hari Kebangsaan ke-64 dan Hari Malaysia ke-58?

Ini bakal menjadi ujian terbesar buat Perdana Menteri Malaysia yang kesembilan.

Adakah beliau bersedia untuk mempertaruhkan kepemimpinannya pada kemampuannya untuk mengubah arus kekalahan dan menguasai perang yang tidak dapat dilihat tetapi amat berbahaya terhadap wabak Covid-19 untuk menyelamatkan nyawa dan mata pencarian rakyat Malaysia?

Ini adalah persoalan yang akan dipertanyakan setiap rakyat Malaysia apabila Perdana Menteri baharu diumumkan kelak.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Jumaat, 20 Ogos 2021)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 20 August 2021, 9:16 am and is filed under
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Malaysia needs new policy against Covid-19 pandemic  as in the eight days  of changeover from eighth to ninth Prime Minister, there were 170,809 Covid-19 cases and  1,745 Covid-19 deaths

Malaysia needs urgently  a new policy against Covid-19 pandemic as in the eight days  of changeover from the eighth  to the ninth Prime Minister from August 13 to yesterday, there were 170,809  Covid-19 cases and 1,745  Covid-19 deaths.

We took more than a year to reach the first 176,180 Covid-19 cases  on January 22, 2021 and 17 months to reach  the first 2,040 Covid-19 deaths  on May 19, 2021, but these figures are  now happening in just eight days.

Yesterday, we set a new daily  record of 23,563 new Covid-19 cases.

We were the world’s Top 6th country in daily new Covid-19 cases and world’s top 12th country in daily new Covid-19 deaths.

Active cases are on a 54-day climb numbering 257,417 cases while the number of patients needing intensive are or ventilators have remained mostly unchanged for the past three weeks.

The positivity rate is 14.5 percent and this  figure has been in the double digits for 30 days continuously.

Time is of the essence and whatever our likes and dislikes, the paramount concern of all Malaysians is to turn the tides of defeat in the 20-month Covid-19 pandemic and to  gain control of the invisible and lethal Covid-19 war,  end the carnage and the destruction of the livelihoods and the national economy.

When we marked our 63rd National Day last year, we had less than 10,000 Covid-19 cases and less than 130 Covid-19 deaths.

The first thing Malaysians want to know from the new Prime Minister is whether Malaysia is set to mark a grim 64th National Day on August 31 with over 1.7 million Covid-19 cases and over 15,000 Covid-19 deaths, and a grimmer 58th Malaysia Day on Sept. 16 with over two million Covid-19 cases and over 19,000 Covid-19 deaths, and whether we can avert these calamitous figures.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 21st August 2021)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 21 August 2021, 10:28 am and is filed under
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Congrats to Ismail Sabri on becoming  the 9th Prime Minister of Malaysia

Congratulations to Ismail Sabri on becoming  the ninth Prime Minister of Malaysia.

He would be the Prime Minister whom Malaysians have the least expectation of success and, paradoxically,  he should use such “least expectation”  to make history by making a success of his premiership  for the intervening period until  the 15th General Election by ensuring:

Firstly, the end to the carnage of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has to date claimed 13,936 lives and to gain control of the Covid-19 pandemic which had been on a runaway scenario since July12, when we first recorded  five-digit daily new Covid-19 cases.

Ismail Sabri’s first task is to end Malaysia’s daily new Covid-19 deaths in three-digit figures and then in   double-digit figures and to  end  daily new Covid-19  cases in five-digit  figures and then in four-digit figures.

We must stop setting new dubious records in the Covid-19 pandemic – like breaking the 14,000-mark for cumulative total of Covid-19 deaths today;  breaking the 1.6 million mark for cumulative total for Covid-19 cases tomorrow or day after; overtaking Chile next  Thursday and be ranked No. 24 among countries  with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases; and marking the 64th National Day on August 31 with three dubious records: (i) nearly 16,000 Covid-19 deaths; (ii) over 1.7 million Covid-19 cases; and (iii) overtaking yet another country – the Czech Republic – to be ranked No. 23 among nations with the most cumulative total of  Covid-19 cases.

We are in race against time mwith the Delta and other variants. Although 38% of the Malaysian adult population is fully vaccinated, we must be conscious that vaccination is not the  silver bullet to the Covid-19 pandemic as shown by  Israel.

Although Israel is the first country on earth to fully vaccinate a majority of its citizens against Covid-19, it is now experiencing one of the world’s highest daily infection rates. Among the reasons are that immunity from the vaccine dips over time and that the Delta variant breaks through the vaccine’s waning protection.

The good news is that among Israel’s serious infections, the Israeli Health Ministry data shows that the rate of serious cases among unvaccinated people over age 60 was nine times more than the rate among fully vaccinated people of the same age category, and the rate of serious cases among unvaccinated people in the under-60 crowd was a little more than double the rate among vaccinated people in that age bracket.

One lesson from Israel is that vaccinations are key but they are not enough – even for Israel, where 78% of eligible Israelis over 12 years old are vaccinated.

Israel is the first country to offer a third shot of the Pfizer vaccine in a nationwide booster campaign. Preliminary research in Israel suggests booster shots significantly increase protection against the coronavirus a week after a person receives the third dose.

Ismail’s second task is to end the political crisis by initiating meaningful  parliamentary,  institutional and policy  reforms, with the setting up of  parliamentary select committees for every  Ministry to play parliamentary  “check-and-balance” role.

The third task for Ismail is to lay the basis  for Malaysia to recover economically to become one of the stars on the global firmament.

Finally, the fourth task is for Ismail to be Prime Minister for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region  and politics  and re-ignite the hope and confidence about the importance of unity among Malaysians and   that the Malaysian Dream for Malaysia to be a world-class great nation is not a lost dream.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, August 22, 2021)

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The proof of the pudding is in the eating – can the new Prime Minister  create the conditions for  a national consensus on the challenges facing Malaysia in   the next 12 – 18 months to the 15th General Election?

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

The new Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri made his maiden telecast yesterday calling on all Malaysians to unite as one “Malaysian family”.

But as the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Can the new Prime Minister create the conditions to develop a national consensus on the challenges facing Malaysia in the next 12 – 18 months to the 15th General Election?

Firstly, we must win the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Although the daily new cases yesterday was below 20,000 cases – 19,807 cases – and 232 Covid-19 deaths, they were still on a scale which would be unimaginable when emergency was declared on January 11, 2021 to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, when we had 2,232 daily new Covid-19 cases and four daily new Covid-19 deaths, with a cumulative total of 138,224 cases and 555 Covid-19 deaths.

Now, we have a cumulative total of 1,555,093 cases and 14,168 Covid-19 deaths, set to mark the 64th National Day in eight days’ time on August 31 with three dubious records: (i) nearly 16,000 Covid-19 deaths; (ii) over 1.7 million Covid-19 cases; and (iii) overtaking yet another country – the Czech Republic – to be ranked No. 23 among nations with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases when we were ranked No. 89 when we marked our 63rd National Day 12 months ago.

Can the new Prime Minister ensure that there is a new policy in the war against Covid-19 pandemic and a “whole-of-society” strategy and approach?

It is unimaginable that there could be a new policy and “whole-of-society” strategy and approach in the war against Covid-19 pandemic unless there are also far-reaching parliamentary and institutional reforms and policy changes.

The political crisis facing the country can only be resolved by all parties returning to the bedrock principles of nation-building laid down by the Malaysian Constitution and Rukun Negara – constitutional monarchy based on parliamentary democracy, the doctrine of separation of powers, the rule of law, upholding good governance and human rights.

We must return to normality before we can embark on the next stage of national endeavour – to fulfil Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman’s aspiration to be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.

But before we can “a beacon of light” to the world, we must achieve the status of a world-class great nation and not be in the trajectory of a failed state.

Can the new Prime Minister build such a consensus and restore hope and confidence among Malaysians about the future of Malaysia?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, August 23, 2021)

Mampukah Perdana Menteri yang baharu mewujudkan ruang untuk konsensus nasional mengenai cabaran yang dihadapi Malaysia dalam tempoh 12 – 18 bulan akan datang sebelum Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15?

Perdana Menteri baharu, Ismail Sabri dalam siaran langsung televisyen semalam menyeru agar semua rakyat Malaysia bersatu sebagai sebuah “Keluarga Malaysia”

Namun, seperti kata pepatah inggeris, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Mampukah Perdana Menteri baharu mewujudkan ruang untuk mengembangkan konsensus nasional mengenai cabaran yang dihadapi Malaysia dalam tempoh 12 – 18 bulan akan datang menjelang Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15?

Pertama, kita harus menang perang melawan pandemik Covid-19.

Meskipun kes harian baharu semalam direkodkan di bawah paras 20,000 — 19,807 kes – dengan 232 kematian, angka itu tetap dilihat tidak masuk akal memandangkan ketika darurat diisytiharkan pada 11 Januari 2021 dengan alasan untuk melawan wabak Covid-19, kita merekodkan 2,232 kes baharu dan empat kes kematian baharu akibat wabak itu, dengan jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 sebanyak 138,224 dan kes kematian terkumpul sebanyak 555.

Kini, kita mempunyai jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 sebanyak 1,555,093 dan 14,186 kes kematian terkumpul. Kita bakal mencipta tiga rekod buruk menjelang Hari Kebangsaan ke-64 yang akan tiba lapan hari lagi pada 31 Ogos: (i) 16,000 kes kematian keseluruhan; (ii) lebih 1.7 juta kes Covid-19; dan (iii) memintas Republik Czech untuk berada di kedudukan ke-23 antara negara-negara dengan jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 tertinggi sedangkan kita berada di kedudukan ke-89 semasa kita menyambut Hari Kebangsaan ke-63 pada 12 bulan yang lalu.

Mampukah Perdana Menteri baharu memastikan terdapat dasar baharu dalam perang melawan pandemik Covid-19 dan pendekatan dan strategi “keseluruhan masyarakat”?

Agak mustahil dasar baharu dan pendekatan serta strategi “keseluruhan masyarakat” dalam perang melawan wabak Covid-19 dapat dilaksanakan jika reformasi institusi dan Parlimen serta perubahan dasar tidak turut dilaksanakan.

Krisis politik yang membelenggu negara hanya boleh diselesaikan dengan semua pihak kembali berpegang kepada prinsip asas pembinaan negara seperti yang termaktub dalam Perlembagaan Malaysia dan Rukun Negara, raja berperlembagaan berdasarkan demokrasi berparlimen, doktrin pemisahan kuasa, kedaulatan undang-undang, tadbir urus yang baik dan melindungi hak asasi manusia.

Kita harus kembali ke keadaan normal sebelum kita dapat bergerak ke peringkat seterusnya dalam usaha pembinaan negara — memenuhi aspirasi Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman untuk negara ini menjadi “sinar cahaya dalam dunia yang kelam dan terganggu”.

Namun, sebelum kita boleh menjadi “sinar cahaya” kepada dunia, kita harus mencapai status negara hebat berkelas dunia dan tidak berada dalam trajektori negara gagal.

Mampukah Perdana Menteri baharu membina konsensus seumpama itu dan mengembalikan keyakinan dan harapan di kalangan rakyat Malaysia terhadap masa depan negara ini?

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Isnin, 23 Ogos 2021)

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Azalina’s resignation as Deputy Speaker of Parliament opens the way for  far-reaching parliamentary reforms where  a Deputy Speaker comes from the Opposition

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

The resignation of Azalina Othman Said as Parliamentary Deputy Speaker opens the way for far-reaching parliamentary reforms where a Deputy Speaker comes from the Opposition.

But this must be part of major parliamentary and institutional reforms which the new Prime Minister must commit himself to carry out.

There are many things which the new Prime Minister must commit himself to do – in particular a “whole-of society” strategy and approach to win the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is why the new Prime Minister must be open to criticisms and suggestions, like those from the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM) and Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) over the dropping of general practitioners (GPs) from the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP); the acceleration of the national vaccination roll-out in the states outside the Klang Valley; the resumption of supplementary food programme for school-children and a new policy to end the high Covid-19 death rates and to protect lives and livelihoods.

The political crisis facing the country can only be resolved by all parties returning to the bedrock principles of nation-building laid down by the Malaysian Constitution and Rukun Negara – constitutional monarchy based on parliamentary democracy, the doctrine of separation of powers, the rule of law, upholding good governance and human rights.

We must return to normality before we can embark on the next stage of national endeavour – to fulfil Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman’s aspiration to be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.

But before we can “a beacon of light” to the world, we must achieve the status of a world-class great nation and not be in the trajectory of a failed state.

This is the challenge facing the new Prime Minister.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 24th August 2021)

Peletakan jawatan oleh Azalina sebagai Timbalan Speaker membuka jalan untuk reformasi Parlimen dengan melantik seorang Timbalan Speaker daripada kalangan Ahli-ahli Pembangkang

Peletakan jawatan oleh Azalina sebagai Timbalan Speaker membuka jalan untuk reformasi Parlimen dengan melantik seorang Timbalan Speaker daripada kalangan Ahli-ahli Pembangkang.

Namun, perkara ini mestilah menjadi sebahagian daripada reformasi Parlimen dan institusi yang memerlukan komitmen pelaksanaan daripada Perdana Menteri sendiri.

Terdapat banyak perkara yang memerlukan komitmen Perdana Menteri — terutamanya pendekatan dan strategi yang melibatkan “keseluruhan masyarakat” untuk memenangi perang melawan wabak Covid-19.

Kerana inilah Perdana Menteri baharu ini perlu bersifat terbuka kepada kritikan dan cadangan, seperti yang telah diberikan oleh Persekutuan Persatuan Pengamal Perubatan Swasta (FPMPAM) dan Persatuan Perubatan Malaysia (MMA) mengenai tindakan mengetepikan peranan doktor am swasta dalam Program Immunisasi Kebangsaan (PICK); pemecutan pelaksanaan program vaksinasi di negeri-negeri di luar Lembah Klang; sambungan semula program bantuan makanan khas untuk pelajar sekolah dan dasar baharu untuk mengakhiri angka kematian akibat Covid-19 yang tingggi dan untuk meneyelamatkan nyawa dan kehidupan rakyat.

Krisis politik yang dihadapi negara hanya boleh diselesaikan dengan semua parti-parti politik kembali semula kepada prinsip-prinsip pembinaan negara bangsa yang ada dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan Rukun Negara — sistem monarki berperlembagaan yang berteraskan demokrasi berparlimen, doktrin pemisahan kuasa, kedaulatan undang-undang, tadbir urus yang baik, dan penghormatan kepada hak asasi manusia.

Kita perlu kembali kepada kehidupan normal sebelum kita boleh memulakan fasa seterusnya perjuangan untuk memenuhi aspirasi Bapa Malaysia untuk Malaysia menjadi sebuah sinar cahaya dalam dunia yang kelam dna terganggu.

Namun, sebelum kita boleh menjadi “sinar cahaya” kepada dunia, kita perlu mencapai status negara hebat bertaraf dunia, bukannya kekal dalam arah menjadi sebuah negara gagal.

Inilah cabaran yang dihadapi oleh Perdana Menteri baharu kita.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Selasa, 24 Ogos 2021)

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Anything  to cheer Malaysians a week to the 64th National Day on August 31, 2021?

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

Is there anything to cheer Malaysians a week to the 64th National Day on August 31, 2021?

We are supposed to move into Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan after National Day fulfilling three conditions, namely less than 500 daily Covid-19 cases, sufficient ICU beds available and 60% of adult population vaccinated.

Since the announcement of the National Recovery Plan on June 15, 2021, Malaysia had never achieved the first condition of less than 4,000 daily cases by the end of June, as apart from two days – on June 21 when we had 4,611 cases and June 22 when we had 4,743 cases – we had ranged from 5,150 daily cases on 16th June to 9,353 cases on July 7 before July 12, 2021, and after that from July 13, 2021, we had five-digit cases reaching a peak of 23,564 daily cases on 20th August 2021.

What is clearly established about the National Recovery Plan announced on June 15, 2021 is the fact that in mid-June, those responsible for the war against the Covid-19 pandemic never expected the new daily cases to reach five-digit numbers as they were expecting the new Covid-19 cases to drop to below 500 cases after National Day.

This is an expensive lesson which we must learn, as from June 15, 2021 to now, there had been 925,726 new Covid-19 cases averaging a 13,224 daily cases and 10,484 Covid-19 deaths averaging a daily toll of 150 deaths, instead of daily new Covid-19 cases descending to below 500 cases.

In terms of ICU capacity, the number of ICU patients is still in four digit figures, first reached on July 26, 2021, with active cases achieving its highest peak of 262,713 cases yesterday.

Only the vaccination rate in the National Recovery Plan seems achievable for Labuan (92.4% fully vaccinated), Sarawak (85.4%), Klang Valley (85.2%), Negri Sembilan (72.3%), Perlis (62.4%), while the other states, the vaccination rate lagged far behind – Penang (47.1%), Malacca (46.8%), Terengganu (42.7%), Perak (41.4%), Johore (38.8%), Kedah (38.3%), Kelantan (37.6%) and Sabah (31.4%) – requiring urgent acceleration.

But this is a percentage for the adult population, i.e. 18 years old and above, which accounts for about 70% of the population.

The sorry state of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia urgently demand a new policy, strategy and approach in the war against Covid-19 pandemic which must be “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” – as the country will break the 1.6 million mark for cumulative total of Covid-19 cases today and set to mark the grimmest 64th National Day in a week’s time with over 1.7 million Covid-19 cases and close to 16,000 Covid-19 deaths, earning for Malaysia the 23rd rank among countries with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases.

The ninth Prime Minister has come into office with the lowest public expectations but I am prepared to suspend judgement to give him the opportunity to prove the pessimists wrong and that he could create the conditions to develop a national consensus on the challenges facing Malaysia in the next 12 – 18 months and unite all Malaysians in one “Malaysian family”.

The first tests will come when Ismail Sabri announces his Cabinet and his actions before the vote of confidence in Parliament next month.

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

Adakah apa-apa untuk menggembirakan rakyat Malaysia seminggu sebelum Hari Kebangsaan ke-64 pada 31 Ogos 2021?

Adakah apa-apa untuk menggembirakan rakyat Malaysia seminggu sebelum Hari Kebangsaan ke-64 pada 31 Ogos 2021?

Kita sepatutnya beralih ke Fasa 3 Pelan Pemulihan Negara selepas Hari Kebangsaan dengan memenuhi tiga syarat, iaitu, kurang daripada 500 kes baharu Covid-19, jumlah katil unit rawatan rapi yang mencukupi, dan 60% populasi dewasa telah menerima vaksin.

Sejak daripada pengumuman Pelan Pemulihan Negara pada 15 Jun 2021, negara kita tidak pernah mencapai syarat pertama; kurang daripada 4,000 kes harian menjelang hujung bulan Jun — memandangkan selain daripada dua hari pada 21 dan 22 Jun di mana kita mencatatkan 4,611 dan 4,743 kes — kita telah mencatatkan di antara 5,150 kes pada 16 Jun sehingga 9,353 kes pada 7 Julai sebelum mula mencatatkan kes harian dalam julat lima angka dengan angka tertinggi mencecah 23,564 kes pada 20 Ogos 2021.

Apa yang jelas daripada Pelan Pemulihan Negara yang diumumkan pada 15 Jun ini adalah fakta di mana pada pertengahan bulan Jun, mereka yang bertanggungjawab terhadap perang melawan wabak Covid-19 ini tidak menjangkakan langsung yang angka kes harian akan mencapai lima angka, kerana mereka menjangkakan penurunan kepada bawah dari 500 kes sehari selepas Hari Kebangsaan.

Perkara ini adalah satu pengajaran yang amat mahal yang kita perlu insafi, daripada 15 Jun sehingga hari ini, terdapat 925,726 kes baharu yang memberikan purata sebanyak 13,224 kes sehari 10,484 kematian akibat Covid-19, purata sebanyak 150 kematian sehari, dan bukannya penurunan kepada julat di bawah 500 kes sehari.

Dari segi penggunaan katil unit rawatan rapi (ICU), kadar pesakit ICU masih lagi melebihi empat angka, perkara ini pertama kali dicatatkan pada 26 Julai 2021, dengan jumlah kes aktif mencapai kemuncak baharu 262,713 kes semalam.

Hanya kadar vaksinasi dalam Pelan Pemulihan Negara sahaja yang kelihatan boleh dicapai, terutamanya di negeri seperti Labuan (92.4% divaksinasi sepenuhnya), Sarawak (85.4%), Lembah Klang (85.2%), Negeri Sembilan (72.3%), Perlis (62.4%), sementara di negeri-negeri lain, kadar vaksinasi masih ketinggalan jauh — Pulau Pinang (47.1% ), Melaka (46.8%), Terengganu (42.7%), Perak (41.4%), Johor (38.8%), Kedah (38.3%), Kelantan (37.6%) dan Sabah (31.4%) — yang memerlukan pecutan segera program vaksinasi.

Tetapi, angka ini hanya mewakili populasi dewasa, iaitu mereka yang berusia 18 tahun ke atas yang terdiri daripada kira-kira 70% jumlah populasi negara.

Keadaan buruk Covid-19 di negara kita ini memerlukan dasar, strategi, dan pendekatan baharu dalam perang melawan wabak ini, yang mesti melibatkan “keseluruhan kerajaan” dan “keseluruhan masyarakat” — memandangkan negara kita bakal memecahkan siling 1.6 juta kes terkumpul Covid-19 hari ini, dan bakal menyambut Hari Kebangsaan ke-64 yang amat suram dalam masa seminggu lagi dengan lebih daripada 1.7 juta kes Covid-19 dan hampir 16,000 kematian akibat Covid-19, meletakkan Malaysia di tangga ke-23 di dunia dengan jumlah kes terkumpul tertinggi.

Perdana Menteri kesembilan telah pun masuk ke pejabatnya dengan jangkaan terendah daripada rakyat, tetapi saya bersedia untuk menggantung penilaian saya kepada beliau untuk memberikan beliau peluang membuktikan semua pessimis tersilap dan bahawa beliau mampu mencipta keadaan untuk membolehkan satu konsensus kebangsaan baharu dibina untuk membantu negara kita berhadapan dengan cabaran yang dihadapi dalam masa 12 ke 18 bulan yang akan datang untuk menyatukan semua rakyat Malaysia sebagai satu “Keluarga Malaysia”.

Ujian pertama kepada Ismail Sabri akan tiba apabila beliau mengumumkan senarai Kabinet dan tindakan-tindakan beliau sebelum undian pegangan majoriti beliau di Parlimen pada bulan hadapan.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Rabu, 25 Ogos 2021)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 25 August 2021, 9:35 am and is filed under
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The four tests of the Ismail Sabri government

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

The acid test of the Ismail Sabri government is whether it could win the war against the Covid-19 pandemic and bring it under control as the pandemic is still on the relentless march towards the 64th National Day on August 31 and 58th Malaysia Day on September 16 settling dubious new records.

Yesterday, we broke the 1.6 million-mark for cumulative total of Covid-19 cases.

Today, we will break the 15,000-mark for cumulative total of Covid-19 deaths.

Can we reduce the daily new Covid-19 cases to avoid passing the 1.7 million mark on 64th National Day on August 31?

Can we reduce the daily new Covid-19 deaths to avoid the breaking the 16,000-mark for cumulative total of Covid-19 deaths on 64th National Day?

The third test will be whether we can reduce the new daily cases to avoid breaking the two million-mark on the 58th Malaysia Day on Sept. 16 and the fourth test whether we can avoid breaking the 19,000-mark for cumulative total of Covid-19 deaths on the 58th Malaysia Day.

These are the four tests of the Ismail Sabri government.

Malaysians must be concerned that for two consecutive days, we have become the No. 1 country in ASEAN in having the most daily new Covid-19 cases, beating both Indonesia and Philippines.

We had 20,839 new Covid-19 cases on 24th August and 22,642 new cases on August 25, as compared to Indonesia which had 19,100 cases and 18,671 new cases for these two days and Philippines, which had 11,891 new cases and 13,573 in these two days.

In fact, we have been having more daily new Covid-19 cases than Indonesia in the last 10 consecutive days, which is why time is of the essence to bring the Covid-19 pandemic under control.

Since Muhyiddin Yassin submitted his resignation as Prime Minister on August 16, 2021, there had been 212,345 Covid-19 cases and 2,308 Covid-19 deaths.

This is a national emergency that can brook no more delay and Ismail Sabri must get down to the business of winning the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yesterday, the new Prime Minister had a meeting with Pakatan Harapan leaders and the Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said after the meeting that Pakatan Harapan would not complicate matters during a vote of confidence in Parliament if Ismail Sabri’s policies are pro-rakyat and designed to win the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.

We may be in the Opposition but when the country faces a national crisis, all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or politics must unite so that the country can tide over the crisis.

I am reminded of my call on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the National Day in 1987 where I called for a summit meeting of top political leaders to defuse the escalating racial polarisation in the country so that that nation could concentrate on the task of national economic recovery.

This is the time for all political parties to demonstrate that whatever their political differences, they are prepared to rise above party politics with one overriding common cause – to win the war against the Covid-19 pandemic so that Malaysia can embark on economic and national recovery.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 26th August 2021)

Empat ujian yang perlu dihadapi kerajaan Ismail Sabri

Kerajaan Ismail Sabri berdepan ujian sama ada ia mampu untuk memenangi peperangan melawan Covid-19 dan mengawal penyebaran wabak tersebut memandangkan penularannya masih terus meningkat menjelang sambutan Hari Kebangsaan ke-64 pada 31 Ogos dan Hari Malaysia ke-58.

Semalam, kita melepasi paras 1.6 juta untuk jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19.

Hari ini, kita bakal melepasi paras 15,000 untuk jumlah kumulatif kes kematian akibat Covid-19.

Mampukah kita mengurangkan kes harian baharu Covid-19 untuk tidak melepasi paras 1.7 juta pada Hari Kebangsaan ke-64 pada 31 Ogos?

Mampukah kita mengurangkan kes kematian akibat Covid-19 untuk mengelakkan negara mengumpulkan lebih 16,000 kes kematian menjelang Hari Kebangsaan ke-64?

Ujian yang perlu dihadapi kita adalah sama ada kita mampu untuk mengurangkan kes harian baharu untuk mengelakkan jumlah keseluruhan kes jangkitan wabak tersebut melepasi paras 2 juta pada Hari Malaysia ke-58 pada 16 September dan ujian keempat adalah sama ada kita mampu mengelakkan negara melepasi paras 19,000 untuk jumlah kumulatif kes kematian akibat Covid-19 pada Hari Malaysia ke-58.

Ini adalah empat ujian yang perlu dihadapi kerajaan Ismail Sabri.

Rakyat Malaysia perlu tahu bahawa untuk dua hari berturut-turut, kita telah menjadi negara nombor satu di ASEAN yang mempunyai kes harian baharu Covid-19 tertinggi, menewaskan Indonesia dan Filipina.

Kita mempunyai 20,839 kes baharu Covid-19 pada 24 Ogos dan 22,642 kes baharu pada 25 Ogos, berbanding Indonesia yang mempunyai 19,100 dan 18,671 kes baharu untuk kedua-dua hari tersebut dan Filipina yang mempunyai 11,891 dan 13,573 kes baharu untuk kedua-dua hari yang sama.

Malah, kita mempunyai kes harian baharu Covid-19 yang lebih tinggi berbanding Indonesia untuk 10 hari berturut-turut. Itulah sebabnya faktor masa memainkan peranan begitu penting dalam mengawal penularan wabak ini.

Sejak Muhyiddin Yassin melepaskan jawatan sebagai perdana menteri pada 16 Ogos 2021, terdapat 212,345 kes Covid-19 dan 2,308 kes kematian akibat wabak itu.

Sekarang adalah waktu genting yang memerlukan tindakan pantas dan Ismail Sabri harus segera berusaha untuk memenangi perang melawan wabak Covid-19.

Semalam, perdana menteri baharu itu mengadakan pertemuan dengan pemimpin Pakatan Harapan. Selepas pertemuan itu, Ketua Pembangkang, Anwar Ibrahim berkata PH tidak akan mempersulit keadaan semasa undi percaya dibentangkan di Parlimen jika dasar yang dibawa Ismail dilihat pro-rakyat dan berkesan dalam melawan wabak Covid-19.

Kita mungkin berada di kerusi pembangkang, namun apabila negara berdepan krisis, semua rakyat Malaysia, tidak mengira kaum, agama, wilayah atau politik harus bersatu supaya negara dapat mengharungi cabaran ini.

Saya teringat semula seruan saya pada sambutan Hari Kebangsaan ke-30 pada 1987, di mana saya menyeru supaya pemimpin tertinggi politik mengadakan perbincangan untuk menurunkan suhu perkauman di negara ini supaya tumpuan lebih boleh diberikan untuk memulihkan ekonomi negara.

Ini adalah masanya untuk semua parti-parti politik menunjukkan bahawa apa pun perbezaan politik yang ada, mereka tetap bersedia untuk mengetepikan semua itu demi memastikan matlamat bersama tercapai iaitu untuk memenangi perang melawan wabak Covid-19 supaya Malaysia boleh beralih ke fasa pemulihan negara dan ekonomi.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Khamis, 26 Ogos 2021)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 26 August 2021, 10:06 am and is filed under
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Malaysia must stop setting dubious new records in the Covid-19 pandemic if we are to return to normality and start on economic and national recovery

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

Malaysia must stop setting dubious new records in the Covid-19 pandemic if we are to return to normality and start on economic and national recovery.

Yesterday we set three dubious new records in Covid-19 pandemic when we firstly, set new peaks for daily new Covid-19 cases (24,599 cases) and daily Covid-19 deaths (393 deaths of which 100 were BID – brought-in-dead) and secondly, Malaysia overtook Chile in having more cumulative total of Covid-19 cases and is now ranked No. 24 among nations with most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases.

Tomorrow, we are likely to overtake another country, the Czech Republic, to be ranked No. 23 among nations with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases.

For the third consecutive day, we have beaten both Indonesia (16,899 cases) and Philippines (16,313 cases) in daily new Covid-19 cases.

Malaysians are numbed by the ceaseless increases of Covid-19 cases and deaths – a disturbing sign of Covid-19 fatigue among the people.

The prediction of the Health Director-General, Noor Hisham Abdullah at the end of last month that Malaysia will reach the peak of Covid-19 transmissions in mid-September with 24,000 cases a day has come one month earlier in August, but this does not appear to be the peak for daily new Covid-19 cases.

What will the peak of daily new Covid-19 cases in current surge of Covid-19 cases?

Although Selangor’s Covid-19 infections fallen below seven thousand figures, there are eight states which have daily new four-digit cases, namely Selangor (6,936), Sabah (3,487), Johor (2,785), Penang (2,078), Sarawak (2,024), Kedah (1,538), Kelantan (1,312) and Perak (1,170), with Sabah, Johore and Penang reaching record-nigh figures yesterday.

As Johore has become the third state with the highest daily new Covid-19 cases, it is urgent and imperative that walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centres for the elderly, individuals with disabilities, people with comorbidities, teachers and those who missed their second dose should be started immediately in Johore like other states like Perak, Kedah, Penang, Sabah, Melaka, Kelantan and Sarawak.

In fact, this was announced by the then National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin on August 2 but it had not been implemented.

I agree with the DAP MP for Kulai, Teoh Nie Ching, that this is a matter which required instant action and which cannot wait until the new Cabinet is sworn in next Monday.

In the ten days between the appointment of Ismail Sabri as the ninth Prime Minister on August 20 and the swearing-in of the new Cabinet on Monday, 30th August 2021, we are likely to have over 200,000 new Covid-19 cases and over 2,000 Covid-19 deaths, when it had taken a year to reach the first 200,000 Covid-19 cases and 17 months to reach the first 2,000 Covid-19 deaths.

This is why reducing the Covid-19 cases to first triple-digit and then double-digit figures and reduce the Covid-19 deaths to first double-digit and then single-digit figures is of the most paramount and critical importance, and all Malaysians, irrespective to race, religion, region or politics must be united on this national endeavour.

This is why I support in principle Pakatan Harapan and the Opposition reaching a Confidence-Supply-Reform Agreement (CSRA) with the Government so that we put politics aside for 12-18 months and all Malaysians focus on winning the war against the Covid-19 pandemic, return the country to normality and embark on economic and national recovery.

But the CSRA should be a meaningful agreement and not a hollow document.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, August 27, 2021)

Malaysia perlu berhenti mencatatkan rekod baharu pandemik Covid-19 jika kita mahu kembali kepada kehidupan normal dan memulakan pemulihan negara dan ekonomi

Malaysia perlu berhenti mencatatkan rekod baharu pandemik Covid-19 jika kita mahu kembali kepada kehidupan normal dan memulakan pemulihan negara dan ekonomi.

Semalam kita mencipta tiga rekod baharu pandemik Covid-19; pertama, merekodkan kemuncak baharu untuk kes baharu Covid-19 (24,599 kes) dan kes kematian harian (393 kematian yang mana 100 daripadanya adalah kematian membabitkan BID – kematian di luar hospital) dan kedua, Malaysia memintas Chile dalam jumlah keseluruhan kes Covid-19 dan kini berada di kedudukan ke-24 antara negara-negara dengan jumlah keseluruhan kes Covid-19 tertinggi.

Esok, kita berkemungkinan memintas Republik Czech untuk berada di kedudukan ke-23 antara negara-negara dengan jumlah keseluruhan kes Covid-19 tertinggi.

Untuk hari ketiga berturut-turut, kita telah menewaskan Indonesia (16,899 kes) dan Filipina (16,313 kes) dalam kes harian baharu Covid-19.

Rakyat Malaysia semakin penat dengan lonjakan berterusan kes positif Covid-19 dan kematian akibat wabak itu.

Ramalan Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah pada akhir bulan lalu bahawa Malaysia akan mencapai tahap kemuncak penularan Covid-19 pada pertengahan September dengan 24,000 kes sehari menjadi kenyataan sebulan lebih awal pada Ogos, namun ia nampaknya bukanlah tahap kemuncak sebenar untuk kes harian baharu Covid-19.

Apakah tahap kemuncak sebenar kes harian baharu Covid-19 berdasarkan lonjakan kes Covid-19 yang terkini?

Meskipun jangkitan Covid-19 di Selangor telah menurun ke paras bawah 7,000, terdapat enam negeri yang merekodkan kes empat angka, antaranya Selangor (6,936), Sabah (3,487), Johor (2,785), Pulau Pinang (2,078), Sarawak (2,024), Kedah (1,538), Kelantan (1,312) dan Perak (1,170), dengan Sabah, Johor dan Pulau Pinang merekodkan angka yang begitu tinggi semalam.

Oleh kerana Johor kini menjadi negari ketiga dengan kes harian baharu Covid-19 tertinggi, maka sewajarnya disediakan dengan segera pusat vaksinasi secara walk-in untuk orang dewasa, individu kurang upaya, individu menghidapi komorbiditi, guru-guru dan mereka yang terlepas dos kedua, seperti mana negeri-negeri lain di Perak, Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Melaka, Kelantan dan Sarawak.

Malah, perkara ini sebenarnya telah diumumkan oleh Menteri Koordinasi Program Imunisasi Covid-19 Kebangsaan (PICK), Khairy Jamaluddin pada 2 Ogos namun sehingga kini tidak dilaksanakan.

Saya bersetuju dengan Ahli Parlimen DAP Kulai, Teo Nie Ching, bahawa perkara ini memerlukan tindakan pantas dan tidak boleh ditangguh sehingga Kabinet baharu mengangkat sumpah pada Isnin depan.

Dalam tempoh 10 hari antara pelantikan Ismail Sabri sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia yang ke-9 pada 20 Ogos dan majlis angkat sumpah Kabinet baharu pada Isnin, 30 Ogos 2021, kita berkemungkinan mengumpulkan lebih 200,00 kes Covid-19 baharu dan lebih 2,000 kematian akibat wabak itu, sedangkan kita mengambil masa selama setahun untuk mencapai 200,000 kes Covid-19 pertama dan 17 bulan untuk mencapai 2,000 kes kematian pertama.

Mengurangkan kes Covid-19 kepada angka tiga digit pertama dan kemudian angka dua digit dan mengurangkan kematian akibat Covid-19 kepada angka dua digit pertama dan kemudian kepada satu angka adalah paling penting dan mustahak dan semua rakyat Malaysia, tanpa mengira bangsa, agama, wilayah atau politik mesti bersatu dalam usaha nasional ini.

Inilah sebabnya mengapa saya menyokong pada dasarnya Pakatan Harapan dan pembangkang mencapai perjanjian kepercayaan-perbekalan-reformasi (CSRA) dengan kerajaan supaya kita mengetepikan politik selama 12-18 bulan dan semua rakyat Malaysia memberi tumpuan untuk memenangi perang melawan pandemik Covid-19, kembalikan negara kepada kehidupan sedia kala dan mulakan pemulihan negara dan ekonomi.

Namun, CSRA tersebut mestilah menjadi suatu perjanjian yang bermakna dan bukan dokumen kosong.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Jumaat, 27 Ogos 2021)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 27 August 2021, 9:13 am and is filed under
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Three reasons why we will be marking  the most bleak and grim 64th National Day in the nation’s history in three days’ time

There are three reasons why Malaysians will be marking the most bleak and grim 64th National Day in the nation’s history in three days’ time.

The first reason is that we have failed two critical tests to avoid passing the 1.7 million mark for cumulative total of Covid-19 cases and the 16,000-mark for cumulative total of Covid-19 deaths on 64th National Day on August 31, 2021 and Malaysia  is ranked No. 23 among nations with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases.

In fact, at the present rate of Covid-19 infection and deaths, we are likely to pass the  two grim  milestones for cumulative total of Covid-19 cases and deaths tomorrow while we will attain the 23rd ranking by overtaking the Czechia Republic today.

The second reason is that we have fallen to the bottom of the Bloomberg’s monthly Covid Resilience Ranking of 53 economies of more than US$200 billion.

The ranking was launched in November last year and updated monthly ever since. Malaysia’s best ranking was 16th out of 53 countries in January 2021 but fell to 35th by May, 51st in June,  52nd in July and now 53rd in August.

In contrast, Singapore was ranked No. 11  last November and ranked No. 8 in August.

This is Bloomberg’s comment on Malaysia:

“Despite covering nearly half of the population with vaccines and implementing reopening plans for the inoculated, new cases per 100,000 reported in Malaysia over the past month swelled to one of the highest in the world.

“The country’s central bank has also halved its 2021 economic growth target.”

When the ranking started in November last year, five of the top 10 rankings were in Asia  and of  the bottom five rankings, two were from Europe and three from South America.

In the latest August 2021 ranking,  Singapore was the only Asian country among  the top 10 nations (No. 8) as the rest of the countries are from Europe, while the bottom five rankings are all Southeast Asian nations, namely Thailand (49th), Vietnam (50th), Indonesia (51st) and the Philippines (52nd).

This came amid a reversal of fortunes for many countries that were previously held as models of success in combatting Covid-19, as the highly contagious and virulent Delta variant sweeps across the world.

For example, the long-reigning champion of the rankings, New Zealand, plummeted 26 spots to the 29th rank in just a month after the country imposed a lockdown when the Delta variant “infiltrated its fortress-like defences”.

Rankings also dropped in Israel and the United States, where the progress in mass vaccination and rapid reopening were beaten back by the Delta variant surge.

European countries, on the other hand, now occupy nine of the top 10 positions, thanks to their strategy of widespread immunisation and reopenings based on their vaccination status.

The Bloomberg report noted: “The Scandinavian nation has administered enough shots to cover 60 percent of its population, kept fatalities at a very low level and opened its borders to vaccinated travellers. Low death rates, quick vaccine rollouts and an embrace of travel put the Netherlands and Finland second and third.

“Nearly everywhere else, Delta’s advance has been unprecedented. From Japan and South Korea that relied on social compliance, to mainland China and Vietnam that used strict curbs, every approach that managed to stem the pathogen’s spread has been challenged by the variant, dashing hopes that the end of the Covid-19 era was in sight.”

The third reason why the 64th National Day will be most bleak and grim is the unveiling of the new  Cabinet yesterday – which had been assailed from all quarters as “kerajaangagal2.0”.

It has raised the question whether the Pakatan Harapan and the Opposition should continue with the  Confidence-Supply-Reform Agreement (CSRA) with the Ismail Sabri government.

I would argue  that the kakistocratic new Cabinet strengthens the argument for a CSRA agreement to free the country from political maelstrom for the next 12 – 18 months to single-mindedly focus on turning the tides of defeat to  win the war against the Covid-19 pandemic with its high death toll to return Malaysia to normality, so that we can embark on economic and national recovery.

I believe that the best Prime Minister for Malaysia today is  Anwar Ibrahim, or alternatively, Shafie Apdal and not Ismail Sabri, but we must go beyond the games of numbers as the replacement of Ismail Sabri as Prime Minister is not going to be  Anwar or Shafie, but probably Azmin Ali or Zahid Hamidi.

Are we going to have kerajaangagal2.0, kerajaangagal3.0, kerajaangagal4.0 ad afinitum?

I have a Malaysian Dream for Malaysia to be a world-class great nation but we are today faced with an existential  threat of Covid-19 pandemic and the Malaysian Dream must wait  as from the latest statistics, 15,550 people have died of Covid-19, we have a cumulative total of  1,662,913 Covid-19 cases, a peak of 265,695 active cases with 982 ICU patients and 470 patients under intubation.

We owe it to all Malaysians and future generations, regardless of race, religion, region or politics to put all differences aside to unite to fight this existential threat to win the war against Covid-19 so that we can return to normality and embark on economic and national recovery.

We are faced with an unprecedented national crisis as the new coronavirus does not differentiate race, religion,  region or politics, but a crisis yields unique opportunities and Malaysians must tap such unique opportunities to overcome the existential threat.

This is the basis for the  institutional and parliamentary reforms to win the war against Covid-19 pandemic.

Let us rise above divisive politics for the next  12 to 18 months to destabilise the government  so that we can  win the existential threat of Covid-19 pandemic before the mandate is returned to Malaysians to elect the government of their choice and to turn to reality the Malaysian Dream for the country to be a world-class great nation.

After the three  reasons for the most bleak and grim 64th National Day, let us have hope and confidence that that national unity to win the war against  Covid-19 pandemic will yield a better and greater  Malaysia after the next  12-18 months!

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 28th August 2021)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 28 August 2021, 7:19 am and is filed under
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