How can Muhyiddin win the trust and confidence of the people in the invisible war against the Covid-19 pandemic when he is even afraid to convene Parliament to debate the pandemic?

Bagaimana Muhyiddin merancang untuk mendapatkan kepercayaan dan keyakinan rakyat dalam peperangan melawan Covid-19 sedangkan beliau sendiri pun tidak berani untuk memanggil sidang Parlimen bagi membahaskan isu berkenaan wabak ini?

Pada 7 April saya telah menjangkakan yang kita telah melepasi kemuncak gelombang kedua penularan wabak Covid-19 di Malaysia pada 3 April dengan 3,333 kes, berdasarkan kenyataan media saya pada 31 Mac yang mengatakan “terdapat petanda memberansangkan yang jangkaan suram JP Morgan bahawa Malaysia akan berhadapan 6,300 kes menjelang pertengahan April mungkin terbukti silap”.

Saya berbesar hati dengan ketepatan jangkaan ini.

Sehingga hari ini, di dalam minggu terakhir bulan April, kita belum lagi mencapai paras 6,300 kes. Kita kini mencatatkan 5,692 kes, dan kita mungkin tidak akan mencapai 6,300 kes menjelang pengakhiran fasa kedua PKP pada 28 April.

Semalam, Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah melaporkan yang Malaysia telah berjaya mendatarkan lengkungan jangkitan dan kini berada di dalam fasa pemulihan untuk menghapuskan saki baki jangkitan Covid-19.

Beliau berkata, berdasarkan kajian model jangkaan, di mana data pada 3 April menunjukkan 217 kes baharu, pihak Kementerian tidak melihat sebarang kemuncak baharu.

Pihak Kementerian Kesihatan pada mulanya telah bersedia untuk kemuncak dengan 6,300 kes pada 14 April, tetapi kita tidak mencapai angka ini.

Jelaslah PKP berjaya dalam mendatarkan lengkungan jangkitan ini.

Malaysia kini berada di dalam fasa pemulihan dan bukan lagi berada di dalam fasa kemuncak dan semua rakyat Malaysia berkongsi harapan yang sama dengan Dr Hisham supaya momentum ini dapat diteruskan dan supaya kita semua dapat memastikan kes di Malaysia berjaya diturunkan dan dikawal.

Namun Dr Hisham juga memberikan amaran: “Tidak mustahil untuk ada peningkatan mendadak jika kita tidak berhati-hati. Oleh itu penting untuk kita teruskan apa yang kita lakukan dalam PKP 1, 2 dan kini 3.”

Situasi semasa mungkin akan menjadi lebih baik dengan permulaan fasa ketiga PKP yang bermula pada 29 April dan saya tidak rasa ianya terlalu optimistik untuk terus mengharapkan kadar kenaikan harian dua angka sekarang untuk ke satu angka, malah ia mungkin turun ke kadar sifar.

Malaysia telah menyertai Korea Selatan, Australia, dan New Zealand dan beberapa negara lain yang telah dengan jayanya mendatarkan lengkungan jangkitan sebelum adanya satu peningkatan mendadak kes Covid-19 yang menyebabkan kerosakan dan mengorbankan ramai nyawa seperti di Amerika Syarikat yang kini telah melepasi paras 90,000 kes dan sedang mara ke paras sejuta kes dengan lebih daripada 50,000 kematian (hampir satu perempat daripada jumlah kematian global), ataupun seperti di negara Eropah seperti Sepanyol, Itali, Perancis, United Kingdom, dan Jerman yang secara terkumpul merekodkan 1.2 juta kes dan lebih daripada 111,000 kematian.

Tetapi rakyat Malaysia perlu faham bahawa kita baru saja memenangi satu perjuangan dan kita belum memenangi peperangan melawan wabak ini. Pakar di United Kingdom menjangkakan sehingga sebanyak enam gelombang penularan Covid-19 sebelum satu vaksin yang berkesan dapat dicipta dengan meluas ataupun sebelum imuniti kelompok dapat dibangunkan dalam sesebuah komuniti.

Komuniti saintifik global secara amnya bersetuju yang vaksin untuk virus ini boleh dicipta dalam tempoh 12 bulan — namun terdapat juga saintis yang percaya ia akan mengambil masa sehingga dua tahun. Terdapat juga segolongan minoriti yang merasakan yang vaksin ini tidak akan berjaya dicipta.

Langkah kawalan pergerakan telah berjaya memperlahankan penularan wabak ini, tetapi kita perlu sentiasa berhati-hati dan bersedia untuk sebarang peningkatan semula penularan sehinggalah satu vaksin yang berkesan berjaya dicipta.

Sebagai sebuah negara yang bertuah, kita diberikan peluang untuk merangka satu pelan keluar yang bersesuaian, yang akan membolehkan kita membendung penularan wabak Covid-19 dan pada dalam masa yang sama melonjakkan semula ekonomi negara yang kini berada di bawah satu tekanan yang tidak pernah dilihat sebelum ini.

Seperti yang saya pernah katakan dalam kenyataan media saya yang bertarikh 8 April 2020, pembahagian kawasan dalam negara oleh pihak Kementerian Kesihatan dan Majlis Keselamatan Negara kepada empat zon berwarna — merah, jingga, kuning, dan hijau — boleh dijadikan sebagai asas kepada rancangan untuk melonggarkan PKP secara berperingkat dan mengikut kawasan.

Dengan negara kita dibahagikan kepada 148 daerah, dengan 14 di bawah zon merah, tujuh zon jingga, 62 zon kuning, dan 65 zon hijau — PKP boleh dilonggarkan mengikut zon-zon ini, bermula dengan kawasan zon hijau dan kuning yang merupakan lebih daripada tiga perempat daripada semua zon dalam negara.

Kita perlu mengambil pendekatan yang fleksibel, lincah, dan kreatif dalam memetakan dan melaksanakan strategi terbaik untuk era pasca-Covid-19 di dalam fasa ketiga PKP ini, namun pada masa yang sama, amat penting untuk pendekatan ini diasaskan dengan sifat tanggungjawab dan ketelusan kepada rakyat.

Tidak ada jumlah wang ataupun usaha yang boleh memulangkan semula 96 nyawa yang telahpun terkorban di Malaysia, ataupun 196,971 nyawa yang terkorban di sekitar dunia akibat Covid-19, tetapi kita perlu melakukan sebaik-baiknya untuk mengelakkan lebih banyak nyawa terkorban dan melindungi nyawa mereka yang terjejas akibat wabak ini.

Kerajaan haruslah bertanggungjawab dan telus untuk mendapatkan sokongan penuh rakyat dalam mengambil langkah-langkah pasca-Covid-19 yang mungkin tidak popular.

Terdapat tanda-tanda kedatangan semula penyalahgunaan kuasa dan rasuah, yang telah ditolak oleh rakyat Malaysia dalam pilihan raya bersejarah 9 Mei 2018.

Satu contoh yang jelas sekali adalah diskriminasi dalam pengedaran bantuan makanan kepada kawasan parlimen yang diwakili oleh Ahli Parlimen pembangkang seperti yang diketengahkan oleh Ahli Parlimen Pakatan Harapan, Tan Kok Wai dan Hannah Yeoh.

Korea Selatan telah menjadi tanda aras terbaik dalam mendatarkan lengkungan jangkitan. Menteri Luar Negeri Korea Selatan, Kang Kyung-Wha telah mengatakan yang kejayaan Korea Selatan dibantu oleh “ketelusan sepenuhnya” dan oleh sebuah kerajaan yang terbuka dan mempunyai kepercayaan rakyat mereka.

Kang berkata:

Kunci kepada kejayaan kami adalah ketelusan mutlak kepada pihak awam — dengan mengongsikan setiap butiran mengenai bagaimana virus ini sedang berubah, bagaimana ia sedang merebak, dan apa yang dilakukan oleh kerajaan untuk mengekangnya, baik dan buruk.”

Bagaimana kerajaan boleh mendapatkan kepercayaan dan keyakinan seperti ini jika ia tidak berani untuk memanggil sidang Parlimen bagi membahaskan hal ehwal berkaitan Covid-19?

Kerana inilah penyertaan Parlimen penting dalam memastikan satu rancangan keluar yang berjaya dapat dirangka — dan perlunya satu persidangan khas Parlimen dalam bulan April dengan pembentangan rancangan ini untuk diluluskan pada bulan Mei.

(Kenyataan Media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada hari Sabtu 24 April 2020)

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

On April 7, I hazarded the prognosis that the peak of the second wave of Covid-19 outbreak in Malaysia had been reached on April 3rd with 3,333 cases, building on my media statement of March 31 that “there are hopeful signs that JKP Morgan’s  grim projection of Malaysia peaking at 6,300 Covid-19 cases by mid-April can be proven wrong”.

I am glad that these prognosis have been proven right.

Even up to now, in the last week of April, we have not reached 6,300 confirmed  cases, as we now stand  at a total of 5,692 cases, and we may not reach 6,300 cases at the end of the second phase of MCO on April 28.

Yesterday, the Health director-general Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah reported that Malaysia has succeeded in flattening the infection curve and is now in the recovery phase to stamp out the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said based on the examination of the predictive model, where the data on April 3 was 217 new cases, the ministry did not see any further peak since then.

The ministry had initially braced for a peak on April 14 of 6,300 new cases but this figure was not seen.

The MCO has been successful in flattening the curve.

Malaysia is now on a recovery phase not at peak phase and  Malaysians share with Noor Hisham the hope to continue the momentum and to  make sure to control and reduce cases.

As Noor Hisham warned: “But it is not impossible if there is an exponential surge if we leave our guard down. So it is important to continue to do what we did in MCO 1, 2 and now 3.”

The situation may  be significantly better in the third phase of MCO starting on April 29 and it is not being over-optimistic to look forward to  the present double-digit daily increase of Covid-19 cases to fall to single-digit and even to days with zero increase.

Malaysia has joined South Korea, Australia and New Zealand and a handful of other countries which have successfully “flattened the curve” before there was an exponential spike in Covid-cases causing devastating and  massive deaths like the United States, which has passed 900,000 cases and raging on to one-million figure with a death toll which had passed the 50,000 mark (more than  a quarter of global Covid-19 deaths), or the European countries like Spain, Italy, France,  United Kingdom and Germany with the continent totalling nearly 1.2 million cases and over 111,000 deaths.

But Malaysians must understand that we have  won a battle but not the invisible war against Covid-19 as experts in the United Kingdom are envisaging as many as six waves of the Covid-19 outbreak before an effective vaccine is discovered  and available widely or herd immunity to the Covid-19 disease  is developed.

The global scientific community largely agree a vaccine for the virus could be found within a 12 months – but others say it could be up to two years.  But  there is a minority of experts who are  of the view that there is no guarantee one will ever be found.

Lockdown measures have led to a sustained and consolidated slowdown in new coronavirus cases, but we must always be on the look-out and always be  prepared  for any resurgence of the disease until an effective vaccine is developed.

As one of the countries in this fortunate category, we are given the opportunity to find the best exit plan strategy and blueprint, so that we can contain the Covid-19 pandemic and  revive the economy, which is  suffering unprecedented stress and strain, both nationally and globally.

As I said in my media statement of 8th April 2020, the division of the country by the National Security Council and the Ministry of Health into four coloured zones for Covid-19 infections –  red, orange, yellow and green  –  can be used as a basis for an exit plan  strategy for controlled easing of restriction of movement, which is phased and localised.

With the country  divided into 148 districts, namely  14 red zones, seven orange zones, 62 yellow zones and 65 yellow zones –  the lifting of the restriction of movement should be in phases,  starting  with the green and yellow zones, which together comprise more than three quarters of the 148 districts in Malaysia.

We should adopt a  flexible, nimble and creative approach to map out and implement the best exit plan strategy and blueprint  in the post Covid-19 era in the third phase of MCO, but it is essential that such an approach must be based on full public transparency and accountability.

No amount of money or effort  can bring back the 96 lives in Malaysia or the 196,971 lives in the world that Covid-19 has already claimed, but we must do our utmost to prevent more fatalities and protect the livelihoods of those suffering from the economic consequences of the pandemic.

The government must give top priority to full transparency and accountability which are critical factors for securing full national support for unpopular  post-Covid-19 measures.  Accountability and transparency must not take a back seat.

There are signs that abuse of power and corruption, which Malaysians have taken a stand rejecting them in the milestone 14th General Election on May 9, 2018, is making a comeback.

One example is the discrimination in the  distribution of food aid parcels to Opposition-held constituencies as highlighted by Pakatan Harapan MPs, Tan Kok Wai and Hannah Yeoh.

South Korea has set the gold standard of flattening the curve. The South  Korean Foreign Minister, Kang Kyung-wha has attributed South Korea’s success to “absolute transparency” and a government which is open and could secure the trust of the people.

Kang said:

“The key to our success  has been absolute transparency with the public – sharing every detail of how this virus is evolving, how it is spreading and what the government is doing about it, warts and all.”

How can the government be assured of such trust and confidence when it even afraid to convene Parliament to discuss the Covid-19 Pandemic?

This  is why Parliamentary participation is critical to a successful exit plan strategy and blueprint – and the need for a special parliamentary meeting in April and the presentation of the Covid-19 exit plan strategy and blueprint for approval by Parliament in May.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Saturday, 24th April 2020)

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Muhyiddin should appoint a Commander-in-Chief responsible for easing the MCO restrictions to implement the best exit plan blueprint which could  strike the proper  balance to prevent  a resurgence of Covid-19  and ensure a quick bounce-back of the  economy

The nation sighed a relief at the Malaysiakini report that only five localities throughout Malaysia are red zones.

Data on active Covid-19 cases by locality (mukim) show that for the past one week, most states in Malaysia are turning into green zones.

Of the close to 1,200 localities monitored by the Ministry of Health, only five have more than 40 active cases each.

About 75 percent are green localities, with zero active cases.

In states of Perak, Kedah, Penang, Perlis, Terengganu and Kelantan, there are no localities marked as red or orange zones.

This means all localities in these states have less than 20 cases.

The coloured zoning of the country  based on Covid-19 infections should he used as a basis for an exit plan  strategy for controlled, phased and localised easing of restriction of movement.

We belong to a few  countries which had succeeded in flattening the Covid-19  epidemiological curve  and has not  suffered the astronomical  number of cases and massive number of deaths like the United States which now  totalled nearly a million cases while more than 54,000 people  had died  in the outbreak (more than a quarter of world fatalities)  or United Kingdom which is now the fourth   country with the most number of  daily increases of Covid-19 cases.

The 15 countries which registered the most number of  increases in the number of Covid-19 confirmed cases in the last 24 hours are: United States 37,039 cases, Brazil 6,201 cases, Russia 5,966 cases,  UK  4,913 cases, Spain 3,996,  Peru 3,683 cases, Turkey 2,861 cases,  Italy 2,357 cases, India 1,834 cases and France 1,660 cases.

One grim milestone reached in the invisible war against the Covid-19 pandemic is that the United Kingdom has become the fifth country in the world to record more than 20,000 Covid-19 deaths, while Brazil has become one the major epicentres of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should appoint a Commander-in-Chief responsible for easing the MCO restrictions and to implement the best exit plan blueprint which could  strike a proper  balance to prevent  a resurgence of Covid-19  and ensure a quick bounce-back of the  economy.

But there must be a minimum of red tape and bureaucracy, which is already a major complaint in the three phases of the MCO.

The country must be mindful of what the Prime Minister admitted yesterday that  each day of the MCO, with most  businesses shut, the Malaysian economy bleeds RM2.4 billion.

The Minister for parliamentary affairs and laws, Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan cannot be more wrong when he accused the Pakatan Harapan leadership of failing to see the right priorities when protesting against  the one-day parliamentary meeting on May 18.

It is the Minister for parliamentary affairs himself who failed to get the right priorities in the Covid-19 pandemic, which is to save lives from being lost in the Covid-19 outbreak and then to strike the best and proper balance between preventing a Covid-19 resurgence and bringing about a quick revival of the economy of the country.

The Minister for parliamentary affairs is not the Master of Parliament, which is a total misconception of his Ministerial duties as well as the fundamental principle in the Malaysian Constitution on the separation of powers among the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.

Malaysia is probably the only parliamentary democracy the world whose minister for parliamentary affairs thinks that during the Covid-19 pandemic, there are no parliamentary affairs to be transacted – and at most, the Cabinet should just comply with the constitutional requirement that Parliament should meet once in every six months. Hence the genesis of the shocking idea of a one-day Parliament!

Can the Minister cite one example among the parliamentary democracies in the world where its Parliament is emasculated and marginalised during the Covid-19 Pandemic like in  Malaysia?

He should realise that while Parliament is subject to the same public health and social distancing measures as schools, places of worship or businesses, in a time of crisis, the role of parliament is more vital than ever to pass emergency laws, allocate resources and scrutinize government action.

What has the Minister done to ensure that during the Covid-19 pandemic, Parliament and the various Parliamentary Select Committees  can hold virtual meetings, including a digital Parliament session  for 222 MPs, focussed on one and only one issue – the Covid-19 pandemic?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang onl Sunday, 26th April 2020)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 26 April 2020, 3:05 pm and is filed under
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Did the Health Ministry advise against the holding of Parliamentary meetings, including a virtual Parliament and Select Committee meetings to exercise oversight and scrutiny of government measures in the Covid-19 pandemic, and propose a one-day meeting on May 18?

Benarkah Kementerian Kesihatan menasihatkan supaya Parlimen tidak bersidang, termasuk persidangan Parlimen dan jawatankuasa pilihan khas secara maya, bagi menyemak dan meneliti langkah-langkah yang diambil kerajaan dalam mengurus dan membendung wabak Covid-19 dan sebaliknya mencadangkan supaya sidang Parlimen diadakan selama satu hari sahaja pada 18 Mei ini?

Semalam, Perdana Menteri Perancis, Edouard Philippe, mengumumkan bahawa beliau akan membentangkan strategi keluar Perancis di Parlimen Perancis pada hari esok, yang kemudiannya akan dibahaskan dan diundi untuk diluluskan.

Jumlah kematian harian akibat Covid-19 di Perancis semakin berkurangan, negara tersebut mencatatkan angka kematian seramai 242 orang pada Ahad, berbanding 369 kematian baru pada hari sebelumnya.

Hanya dalam seminggu yang lalu, Perancis mencatat peningkatan sebanyak 14,256 kes Covid-19 dan 3,139 orang telah dilaporkan meninggal dunia akibat jangkitan wabak ini — jauh melebihi angka yang dicatatkan di Malaysia.

Sekiranya Perancis yang kini merupakan negara kedua selepas Amerika Syarikat dengan jumlah kes tertinggi Covid-19, dengan 226,629 kes dengan 23,190 kematian, dapat memastikan Parlimennya bersidang untuk meneliti dan kemudiannya meluluskan strategi keluarnya, mengapa Parlimen Malaysia dilemahkan fungsinya dan dipinggirkan peranannya?

Menteri Hal Ehwal Parlimen, Takiyuddin Hassan berkata bahawa keputusan untuk mengadakan persidangan Dewan Rakyat selama hanya satu hari pada 18 Mei kononnya adalah berdasarkan nasihat Kementerian Kesihatan serta pakar-pakar yang berkaitan demi kebaikan dan keselamatan semua pihak.

Benarkah Kementerian Kesihatan menasihatkan supaya Parlimen tidak bersidang, termasuk persidangan Parlimen dan jawatankuasa pilihan khas secara maya, bagi menyemak dan meneliti langkah-langkah yang diambil kerajaan dalam mengurus dan membendung wabak Covid-19 dan sebaliknya mencadangkan supaya sidang Parlimen diadakan selama satu hari sahaja pada 18 Mei ini sekadar untuk memenuhi keperluan seperti yang termaktub di dalam Perlembagaan yang yang mengatakan Parlimen perlu bersidang sekurang-kurangnya setiap enam bulan?

Saya berharap Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan, Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, dalam sidang media hariannya hari ini, dapat memberikan sedikit penjelasan tentang dakwaan yang Kementerian Kesihatan ada menasihatkan Parlimen agar bermesyuarat selama satu hari sahaja, dan sama ada benar bahawa pihak Kementerian Kesihatan tidak bersetuju supaya Parlimen memainkan peranannya dalam menyemak imbang tindak-tanduk kerajaan dalam mengendalikan wabak Covid-19 ini.

Saya tidak beberapa yakin dengan cadangan yang idea untuk melaksanakan sidang Parlimen selama satu hari pada 18 Mei ini datang dari Kementerian Kesihatan, kerana pada 17 April, iaitu ketika Setiausaha Parlimen menghantar notis kepada semua Ahli Parlimen untuk memaklumkan bahawa Parlimen akan bersidang selama satu hari sahaja, Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan dan semua pakar pasti sudah merasakan bahawa kita telah melepasi kemuncak gelombang kedua wabak Covid-19, tertakluk kepada pengesahan daripada perkembangan dalam beberapa hari mendatang.

Pada 31 Mac, saya telah menegaskan bahawa “ada harapan yang unjuran JP Morgan di mana Malaysia akan mencapai 6,300 kes positif Covid-19 pada pertengahan April bakal dibuktikan salah” dan pada 7 April, saya boleh menjangka bahawa kemuncak gelombang kedua wabak Covid-19 di Malaysia telah berlalu pada 3 April dengan 3,333 kes, saya tidak percaya yang Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan atau pakar kesihatan tidak dapat meramalkan hal yang sama dan seterusnya berkongsi dengan pemimpin tertinggi kerajaan tentang lengkungan epidemiologi Covid-19 di negara ini yang telah berjaya diratakan dan jumlah kes semakin berkurangan – berbeza sama sekali situasinya dengan negara-negara Eropah seperti United Kingdom, Sepanyol, Perancis, Itali dan Amerika Syarikat.

Dari 17 April hingga semalam, kenaikan harian kes Covid-19 di Malaysia secara konsisten berada di dalam lingkungan dua angka, antara 36 hingga 88 kes.

Sebagai perbandingan, kenaikan harian kes Covid-19 di United Kingdom bukan sahaja kekal sekitar empat angka sejak 17 April tetapi berada sekitar antara 4,301 hingga 5,850 kes.

Kenaikan harian kes Covid-19 di Perancis juga berada dalam lingkungan empat angka sejak 17 April, antara 1,101 hingga 3,824 kes kecuali semalam yang mencatatkan peningkatan sebanyak 612 kes.

Jika idea sidang Parlimen sehari ini tidak datang dari Kementerian Kesihatan atau nasihat pakar, Menteri Hal Ehwal Parlimen harus mengakui kesilapannya dan meminta Kabinet pada hari Rabu ini untuk menyemak semula keputusan persidangan Parlimen sehari ini.

Kerajaan harus berbincang dengan para pemimpin parti-parti politik yang mempunyai wakil di Parlimen tentang bagaimana Parlimen dapat melaksanakan peranannya dalam usaha membendung wabak Covid-19 dan bukannya menjadi negara pertama di dunia yang melemahkan fungsi dan meminggirkan peranan Parlimennya.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri, Lim Kit Siang pada Isnin, 27 April 2020)

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

Yesterday, the French Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, announced that he would present a national exit strategy to the French Parliament tomorrow, which would then debate and vote on the government’s recommendations.

France’s daily death toll slowed as recorded Covid-19 fatalities in France rose by 242 on Sunday, down from 369 new deaths the previous day.

In the past week alone, France recorded an increase of 14,256 Covid-19 cases and 3,139 people died of the disease – way beyond the figures recorded in Malaysia.

If the country which is presently the second country after the United States with the  highest recorded number of Covid-19 confirmed cases, i.e. 226,629 cases with 23,190 deaths, could report to Parliament and seek parliamentary approval for the French national exit strategy, why is the Malaysian Parliament  being emasculated and marginalised?

The Minister for Parliamentary affairs, Takiyuddin Hassan said that the decision on the one-day Parliament on May 18 was based on the advice of the Health Ministry as well as relevant specialists for the benefit and safety of all parties.

Did the Health Ministry advise against the holding of Parliamentary meetings, including virtual Parliament and Select Committee meetings, to exercise oversight and scrutiny of government measures  in the Covid-19 pandemic, and propose instead  a one-day meeting on May 18 just  to comply with the constitutional requirement that Parliament must meet once every six months?

I hope the Health director-general, Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, in his daily media conference today, would be able to throw some light on whether the Health Ministry had advised the holding of a one-day Parliament and that it  was against Parliament holding the government to accountability and scrutiny for all actions related to the Covid-19 pandemic?

I am quite sceptical that the idea of a one-day meeting of Parliament on May 18 had come from the Health Ministry, as by April 17, when the parliamentary secretary sent out the notice to all MPs about the one-day Parliament, the Health director-general and all specialists would have suspected that the country had passed the peak of the second wave of Covid-19 outbreak, subject to confirmation by developments in the coming days.

If by March 31, I could state that ““there are hopeful signs that JP Morgan’s grim projection of Malaysia peaking at 6,300 Covid-19 cases by mid-April can be proven wrong” and on April 7, I could hazard the prognosis that the peak of the second wave of Covid-19 outbreak in Malaysia had been reached on April 3rd with 3,333 cases, I do not believe that the health director-general or any specialist could not see the writing  on the wall and  shared with the top government leaders the view that the Covid-19 epidemiological curve had been flattened and that Malaysia was  only the downward  descent of the curve – completely unlike European countries like the United Kingdom, Spain, France and Italy and the United States.

From April 17 to yesterday, Malaysia’s daily increase in Covid-19 cases broke free from three-digit figures, and were consistently in double-digit figures ranging from 36 to 88 cases.

In comparison, United Kingdom’s daily increases not only remained in four-digit figures since April 17 but ranged from 4,301 to 5,850 cases.

France was  also  in four-digit figures for daily increase of Covid-10 cases   since April 17, ranging from 1,101 to 3,824 cases except yesterday when it registered an increase of 612 cases.

If the idea of a one-day Parliament had not emanated  from the Health Ministry or the advice of specialists, the Minister  of parliamentary affairs should eat humble pie and ask Cabinet on Wednesday to rectify the mistake  of a one-day Parliament, which has gained  notoriety for the Malaysian Parliament in the world.

The government should instead discuss with the leaders of the political parties represented in Parliament as to how Parliament can perform its critical roles of oversight and scrutiny in the Covid-19 pandemic and not be the first country in the Covid-19 pandemic to emasculate and marginalise Parliament.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Monday, 27th April 2010)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 27 April 2020, 10:27 am and is filed under
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Will Cabinet tomorrow salvage the reputation of Malaysia and Malaysian Parliament as the ridiculous idea of a one-day Parliament was based on a complete misunderstanding of the advice of the Health Ministry on the situation of the Covid-19 outbreak in mid-April?

Adakah Kabinet pada esok hari akan menyelamatkan maruah Malaysia dan Parlimen Malaysia  memandangkan keputusan bagi mengadakan sidang Parlimen selama sehari adalah salah faham berasaskan nasihat daripada Kementerian Kesihatan mengenai situasi Covid-19 pada pertengahan bulan April?

Jawapannya sudah bocor.

Menurut Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah semalam, Kementerian Kesihatan tidak pernah menasihatkan supaya persidangan Parlimen selama sehari. Ia seolah-olah menghina sistem demokrasi berparlimen dan melumpuhkan fungsi Parlimen dalam meneliti serta menyemak imbang tindakan kerajaan dalam mengendalikan wabak Covid-19 di negara kita.

Jelas sekali Menteri yang bertanggungjawab dengan Hal Ehwal Parlimen, Datuk Takiyauddin Hassan telah salah faham ataupun memutarbelitkan nasihat yang diberikan oleh Kementerian Kesihatan berikutan situasi Covid-19.

Sekali lagi kenyataan saya terbukti benar apabila berasa skeptikal bahawa kononnya cadangan persidangan Parlimen selama sehari pada 18 Mei ini datang daripada Kementerian Kesihatan memandangkan menjelang 17 April, ketika Setiausaha Dewan Rakyat menyampaikan notis kepada semua Ahli Parlimen mengenai persidangan sehari ini, sudah tentu Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan dan pakar-pakar yang lain sudah boleh menjangkakan yang negara kita telahpun melepasi kemuncak gelombang kedua wabak Covid-19 yang kemudiannya disahkan oleh angka-angka jangkitan pada hari-hari yang seterusnya.

Jika saya menyatakan “terdapat tanda-tanda memberangsangkan bahawa jangkaan JP Morgan bahawa Malaysia akan berhadapan dengan 6,300 kes menjelang pertengahan April mungkin terbukti salah” pada 31 Mac, dan pada 7 April saya boleh menjangkakan yang kemuncak gelombang kedua wabak ini telahpun berlalu pada 3 April dengan 3,333 kes. Jadi, tak mungkinlah para pakar di Kementerian Kesihatan yang diketuai oleh Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan tidak dapat menjangkakan perkara yang sama. Berbeza sama sekali dengan situasi di negara Eropah seperti di United Kingdom, Sepanyol, Perancis, dan Itali dan juga di Amerika Syarikat.

Dengan melihat kadar jangkitan harian, jelas dapat dilihat bahawa PKP yang dilaksanakan pada 18 Mac berkesan dan berjaya memutuskan rantaian jangkitan wabak ini.

Dalam tempoh dua minggu antara 18 Mac (yang merekodkan 117 kes) ke 31 Mac, jumlah peningkatan harian tertinggi adalah 235 kes pada 26 Mac. Dalam tempoh 1 April ke 16 April pula, jumlah peningkatan harian tertinggi adalah pada 2 dan 3 April dengan 208 dan 217 kes sehari, manakala selebihnya merekodkan kurang daripada 200 kes malah merekodkan serendah 85 kes pada 15 April. Daripada 17 April pula, jumlah peningkatan harian telah menurun daripada kadar tiga angka sehari kepada dua angka.

Tidak ada pakar di Kementerian Kesihatan yang berkelayakan akan memberitahu Takiyuddin bahawa lengkungan jangkitan Covid-19 di negara kita sedang berada di dalam trajektori ke atas sebagai alasan untuk mengadakan persidangan Parlimen selama sehari pada 18 Mei kerana trajektori ini sedang menghala ke bawah.

Saya tidak percaya yang Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan ataupun para pakar di Kementerian Kesihatan telah mengelirukan Takiyuddin. Ini berikutan kenyataannya bahawa keputusan persidangan sehari ini berasaskan nasihat daripada pihak Kementerian Kesihatan dan pakar-pakar berkaitan untuk kebaikan dan keselamatan semua pihak. Apa yang mungkin berlaku adalah sama ada Takiyuddin tidak memahami nasihat yang diberikan ataupun beliau dengan sengaja memutar belit nasihat ini.

Saya berikan Takiyuddin peluang, kerana kemungkinan beliau tidak memahami nasihat yang diberikan kepadanya. Mungkin juga beliau betul-betul bimbang negara kita mungkin sedang menghadapi situasi yang semakin teruk, sedangkan PKP yang dilaksanakan telahpun berjaya dalam memutuskan rantaian jangkitan dan mendatarkan lengkungan jangkitan, walaupun negara kita masih memerlukan masa untuk membawa jumlah peningkatan jangkitan harian kepada sifar.

Takiyuddin harus sedar, pendataran lengkungan jangkitan tidaklah bermakna negara kita mempunyai sifar kes Covid-19. Apa yang dimaksudkan dengan pendataran lengkungan adalah jumlah kes dalam negara berada pada kadar yang boleh dikendalikan oleh hospital dalam negara.

Pembacaan yang tepat mengenai situasi Covid-19 pada pertengahan April adalah pada fasa keempat PKP, yang dilaksanakan daripada 29 April sehingga 12 Mei, yang boleh memastikan wabak ini berada di bawah kawalan, yang tidak memberikan sebarang alasan untuk persidangan parlimen sehari 18 Mei.

Bukan sahaja Malaysia, bahkan seluruh negara di dunia perlu berhadapan dengan norma baharu era pasca-Covid-19 di mana pembatasan sosial akan menjadi sebahagian daripada kehidupan harian sehingga satu vaksin dicipta dalam tempoh 12 ke 24 bulan yang akan datang dan tersedia secara meluas. Adalah lebih penting untuk Parlimen menjalankan tanggungjawabnya dalam meneliti dan menyemak imbang tindak tanduk kerajaan dalam mengendalikan wabak ini, walaupun melalui persidangan secara maya.

Memandangkan nasihat KKM telah disalahfahami, ini membawa kepada situasi persidangan sehari Parlimen. Jadi, mesyuarat Kabinet pada hari esok haruslah menyelamatkan maruah negara dan Parlimen Malaysia daripada keputusan ini untuk memastikan kita bukanlah satu-satunya negara dalam dunia yang menyisihkan fungsi Parlimen.

Parlimen haruslah bersidang untuk sekurang-kurangnya 10 hari untuk meneliti dan menyemak imbang pengendalian wabak Covid-19 oleh pihak kerajaan.

Wajah global Covid-19 telah banyak berubah sejak kes pertama diumumkan di China pada Disember lepas.

Semasa kita mula melaksanakan perintah kawalan pergerakan pada 18 Mac, sepuluh negara teratas dengan kes Covid-19 adalah China, Itali, Iran, Sepanyol, Jerman, Amerika Syarikat, Perancis, Korea Selatan, Switzerland dan United Kingdom.

Hari ini, Korea Selatan dan Switzerland tidak lagi berada di dalam kedudukan sepuluh teratas ini dan China daripada kedudukan teratas kini berada di tempat kesepuluh. Sepuluh negara teratas ini adalah:

Amerika Syarikat  1,007,162 kes; 56,595 kematian (5.6%)

Sepanyol  229,422 kes;  23,521 kematian (10.2%)

Itali  199,414 kes;  26,977 kematian (13.5%)

Perancis 165,842 kes;  23,293 kematian (14%)

Jerman 	 158,434 kes;  6,061 kematian (3.8%)

UK  157,149 kes;  21,092 kematian (13.4%)

Turki  112,261 kes;  2,900 kematian (2.6%)

Iran  91,472 kes;  5,806 kematian (6.3%)

Rusia  87,147 kes; 794 kematian (0.9%)

China  82,830 kes;  4,633 kematian (5.6%)

Beberapa lagi catatan suram juga telah berlaku di peringkat dunia dalam peperangan melawan wabak Covid-19 — jumlah kes global telah melepasi paras tiga juta kes, dengan Amerika Syarikat sahaja merekodkan hampir sejuta kes, satu pertiga jumlah kes global.

Jumlah kematian global kini melepasi paras 200,000 kematian, dengan 211,147 kematian — pada masa yang sama, Timur Tengah telah mengatasi Asia, di belakang Eropah dan Amerika Utara sebagai kawasan ketiga dengan jumlah Covid-19 tertinggi.

Peperangan melawan Covid-19 ini adalah peperangan global, bukan tempatan.

Kerana inilah perlu menjadi keutamaan kepada Parlimen untuk menubuhkan satu Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Kesihatan dan Kebajikan Sosial untuk mengikuti perkembangan terkini wabak ini, dengan mempelajari kejayaan dan kesilapan negara-negara lain, sama ada China, Korea Selatan, Jepun, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapura, Indonesia, Itali, Sepanyol, Perancis, Jerman, United Kingdom, Amerika Syarikat, Turki, Iran atau Arab Saudi.

Iran akan mengikuti pengkelasan kawasan dalam negara kepada empat zon berwarna seperti yang dilakukan di Malaysia mengikut jumlah kes dan kematian sebagai sebahagian daripada rancangan negara tersebut untuk melonggarkan kawalan pergerakan.

Kita pula perlu membantu membangunkan kaedah terbaik dalam perjuangan ini dan mengelakkan sebarang cadangan tidak tepat seperti mencadangkan persidangan Parlimen untuk satu hari sahaja.

Semua negara di dunia perlu mengambil langkah bijak memandangkan Covid-19 adalah satu pandemik global dan bukanlah satu masalah tempatan dan semua negara sama-sama berhadapan dengan cabaran untuk beroperasi di dalam satu era yang tidak pernah dilalui oleh manusia lain sebelum ini.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri, Lim Kit Siang pada hari Selasa 28 April 2020)

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

The cat is out of the bag.

According to the Health director-general, Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah yesterday, the Health Ministry had  never advised nor advocated a one-day Parliament which makes a complete mockery of the system of parliamentary democracy and renders  utter nonsense of the parliamentary role of oversight and scrutiny of government measures in the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is clear that the Minister for parliamentary affairs, Datuk  Takiyuddin Hassan had  either misunderstood or distorted  the advice of the Health Ministry on the situation of the Covid-19 outbreak.

I was right to be quite sceptical that the idea of  a one-day meeting of Parliament on May 18 came  from the Health Ministry, as  by April 17, when the parliamentary secretary sent out the  notice to all MPs about the one-day Parliament, the Health director-general and all specialists should  have suspected that  the country had passed the peak of the second wave of Covid-19 outbreak as  was confirmed  by subsequent developments in the ensuing  days.

If by March 31, I could state that ““there are hopeful signs that JP Morgan’s grim projection of Malaysia peaking at 6,300 Covid-19 cases by mid-April can be proven wrong” and on April 7, I could  hazard the prognosis that the peak of the second wave of Covid-19 outbreak in Malaysia had been reached on April 3rd with 3,333 cases, there is no way that the professionals in the Health Ministry led by its director-general and the specialists  could not see the writing  on the wall that the Covid-19 epidemiological curve had been flattened and that Malaysia was  on the downward  descent of the curve – completely unlike European countries like the United Kingdom, Spain, France and Italy and the United States.

From the daily increase of Covid-19 cases, it was clear that the MCO imposed on March 18 has been effective and successful in breaking the chain of transmission of the viral infection.

During the period of the two weeks from March 18,  which recorded 117 cases, to March 31, the highest daily increase reached was 235 cases on March 26. From  April 1 to April 16, the highest daily increase was recorded for the two days  April 2 when it was 208 and April 3 when it was 217, while for the rest of the period it was below 200 cases, reaching as low as 85 cases on April 15.  From April 17 onwards, the daily increase in three-digit numbers  was  reduced to two-digit figures.

No professional or expert in the Health Ministry worth his or her salt would have told Takiyuddin in mid-April that the Covid-19 epidemiological curve was on the upward ascent to justify a one-day Parliament on May 18 when it was in fact on a downward descent.

Could the Health director-general and the specialists have misled Takiyuddin who said that the decision on the one-day Parliament was based on the advice of the Health Ministry as well as relevant specialists for the benefit and safety of all parties?

This is totally unthinkable. Either Takiyuddin did not understand the advice he was given by the Health Ministry and the  experts  on the situation of the Covid-19 outbreak or  he had  deliberately distorted the advice of the Health Ministry.

I will  give Takiyuddin the benefit of the doubt that he had not properly understood the advice of the Health Ministry, that he genuinely believed that the country was facing a worsening situation when in fact the movement controlled order (MCO) had been effective and successful in breaking the chain of transmission of Covid-19 virus, flattened the curve although more time was needed to bring the Covid-19 outbreak under control as bringing the daily increase of Covid-19 cases to single-digit cases or even to zero increase.

Takiyuddin should realise  that a flattened infection curve does not mean there would be zero Covid-19 cases in the country.

What the flattened infection curve would mean is that the total number of cases would be manageable whereby the hospitals would be able to  cope with the number of patients.

A proper reading of situation of the  Covid-19 outbreak in mid-April would be that the fourth phase of the  MCO from April 29 to May 12 would be able to  bring the viral outbreak under control, and  there was no  scientific justification whatsoever  for a one-day Parliament on May 18.

Although Parliament, like the rest of Malaysia – in fact the world – will have to live with a new normal  in post-Covid-19 era where social distancing will stay until an effective vaccine is developed in 12-24 months’ time  and widely available, it is even  more important that Parliament should  carry out its oversight and scrutiny role in the pandemic, such as through virtual Parliament and Parliament Select Committee proceedings.

As the Health Ministry’s advice on the situation of the Covid-19 outbreak had been gravely misunderstood resulting in the decision on the one-day Parliament, the Cabinet at its weekly meeting tomorrow should salvage Malaysia’s reputation and that of Malaysian Parliament to ensure that it is not the only Parliament in the world which is unable to play its role in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Instead of a one-day Parliament on May 18, it should meet for at least 10 days to provide parliamentary oversight and scrutiny of all government measures in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic.

The global face of  Covid-19 pandemic has undergone great changes since the first Covid-19 case was announced in China last December.

When Malaysia launched the movement control order on March 18, the top 10 countries with the most number of Covid-19 cases were China, Italy, Iran, Spain, Germany, United States, France, South Korea, Switzerland and United Kingdom in that order.

Today, South Korea and Switzerland are out of the Top 10 nations and China from the top nation with the most number of Covid-19 cases has been moved down to the 10th position. The top 10 countries are:

United States – 1,007,162 cases; 56,595 deaths (5.6%)

Spain – 229,422 cases; 23,521 deaths (10.2%)

Italy – 199,414 cases; 26,977 deaths (13.5%)

France – 165,842 cases; 23,293 deaths (14%)

Germany – 158,434 cases; 6,061 deaths (3.8%)

UK – 157,149 cases; 21,092 deaths(13.4%)

Turkey – 112,261 cases; 2,900 deaths (2.6%)

Iran – 91,472 cases; 5,806 deaths (6.3%)

Russia – 87,147 cases; 794 deaths (0.9%)

China – 82,830 cases; 4,633 deaths (5.6%)

Several  other grim milestones have also been reached in the invisible war against the Covid-19 pandemic – the global total of cases have surpassed the three million mark, with the United States itself  accounting for over a million cases or one-third of the global total.

The global death toll is well over 200,000-mark, standing now at 211,147 – while the Middle East has overtaken Asia after Europe and North America as the third region with the most number of Covid-19 cases.

This is a global invisible war and not a local one.

This is why one of the priorities of Parliament must be the setting up of a Select Committee on Health and Social Care to monitor the Covid-19 outbreak, learning from the successes and mistakes of other countries whether  China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, United Kingdom, the United States, Turkey, Iran or Saudi Arabia.

Iran is going to follow Malaysia’s colour-coding programme by dividing the country into white, yellow and red regions based on the number of infections and deaths in its plan to loosen lockdown  restrictions.

We must help to develop best practices in the invisible war against Covid-19 and stay clear of the bad  practices like a ridiculous notion of a  one-day Parliament.

This in fact should be the proper attitude for all countries as the Covid-19 outbreak is a global pandemic and not a localised problem and every country is grappling with the challenge of how best  to operate in this uncharted territory.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Tuesday, April 28, 2020)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 28 April 2020, 8:38 am and is filed under
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Will there be a virtual miracle by the Cabinet on a virtual Parliament?

Apakah yang dilakukan oleh Parlimen Malaysia semasa wabak Covid-19?

Mungkinkah akan berlaku keajaiban pagi ini yang mana Kabinet menarik semula keputusan persidangan Parlimen sehari, lalu membenarkan Parlimen bersidang selama dua hari secara fizikal dan lapan hari secara maya?

Di Singapura, Parlimen Singapura akan membentangkan satu rang undang-undang untuk meminda perlembagaan negara tersebut bagi membolehkan Parlimen Singapura bersidang secara maya.

Minggu lepas, Dewan Rakyat di United Kingdom telah bersidang dan bersetuju dengan rancangan untuk menubuhkan satu kamar perbahasan digital, yang dapat memuatkan 120 ahli parlimen menggunakan aplikasi persidangan video Zoom. Pada masa yang sama membenarkan sehingga 50 orang ahli parlimen untuk hadir secara fizikal ke Dewan.

Dewan Rakyat UK telah menjalankan persidangan maya digital pertamanya pada keesokan hari, 23 April, yang merangkumi sesi pertanyaan kepada Perdana Menteri selama 45 minit yang dijalankan oleh Menteri Luar memandangkan Perdana Menteri British masih lagi dalam proses pemulihan daripada jangkitan Covid-19, 10 minit sesi kenyataan menteri oleh Menteri Kesihatan dan Penjagaan Sosial, Matt Hancock yang kemudiannya diikuti dengan 45 minit sesi soal jawab. Keseluruhan 100 minit persidangan ini bertumpukan kepada satu perkara iaitu wabak Covid-19.

Apakah yang dilakukan oleh Parlimen Malaysia semasa wabak Covid-19 ini?

Memutuskan persidangan Parlimen selama satu hari saja, iaitu pada 18 Mei. Ini merupakan keputusan yang akan meletakkan Malaysia di tangga teratas dunia dari segi tindakan terburuk semasa Covid-19. Tindakan ini seolah-olah melemahkan dan mengetepikan Parlimen yang seharusnya menjalankan tanggungjawab bagi meneliti serta menyemak imbang tindakan kerajaan semasa negara dilanda wabak Covid-19!

Tanpa keraguan, jelas bahawa keputusan kerajaan mengenai persidangan Parlimen selama sehari ini berpunca daripada salah faham nasihat daripada pihak Kementerian Kesihatan Kesihatan (KKM) dan pakar perubatan pada pertengahan April. Maklumat yang disampaikan membuktikan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) yang dilaksanakan sejak 18 Mac berkesan dan berjaya dalam memutuskan rantaian jangkitan dan mendatarkan lengkungan jangkitan. Selain itu, jumlah kes baharu kini berada dalam satu trajektori menurun.

Adakah para menteri kita telah melakukan terlalu banyak kesilapan, seperti “air suam untuk mengelak Covid-19”, “Doraemon”, “Tik-Tok”, pertuduhan berat mengenai penyalahgunaan kuasa dan diskriminasi dalam pengedaran bantuan makanan kepada golongan memerlukan di kawasan Parlimen pembangkang, sehingga mereka tidak berani untuk hadir ke Parlimen bagi menjawab persoalan daripada ahli-ahli Parlimen?

Mesyuarat Kabinet pagi ini adalah peluang terakhir untuk menyelamatkan negara daripada malu besar akibat keputusan persidangan parlimen sehari kerana ia tindakan untuk melemahkan dan mengenepikan Parlimen daripada menjalankan tanggungjawabnya dalam meneliti dan menyemak imbang tindak-tanduk kerajaan sepanjang wabak Covid-19.

Adakah Kabinet akan meletakkan kepentingan negara, di atas semua kepentingan yang lain?

Adakah Kabinet akan mengisytiharkan Parlimen dan mengambil langkah adil sebagai “perkhidmatan penting” dalam wabak Covid-19? Tambahan lagi, adakah Kabinet akan berjaya menegakkan Perlembagaan Malaysia, prinsip kedaulatan Perlembagaan dalam Rukunegara, prinsip pemisahan kuasa di antara badan eksekutif, legislatif, dan kehakiman dan prinsip kedaulatan undang undang?

Mungkinkah akan berlaku keajaiban yang membolehkan persidangan secara maya?

Kita akan tahu pagi ini.

(Kenyataan Media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada hari Rabu 29 April 2020)

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

Can the Cabinet this morning  perform a virtual miracle – retract the one-day Parliament decision and allow Parliament to meet for two days in-person and eight days in virtual meeting?

In Singapore, Parliament next week will amend the Singapore Constitution to enable the holding of a virtual Parliament.

Last week, the House of Commons in the United Kingdom met and agreed to plans to set up a digital debating chamber with 120 MPs able to take part remotely using Zoom video conferencing software and a maximum of 50 allowed to be physically present.

It held its first “virtual” digital Parliament proceedings the next day on 23rd April, which included a 45-minute Prime Minister’s Question Time which was conducted by the Foreign Secretary as the British Prime Minister was recovering from Covid-19, a ten-minute Ministerial statement by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock and a  45-minute question-and-answer session  by Matt Hancock – and all  the 100 minutes were focused specifically on one subject,  the Covid-19 pandemic.

What is Parliament in Malaysia doing in the Covid-19 pandemic?

Indulging in the shocking and ridiculous idea of a one-day Parliament on May 18 which will put Malaysia in the forefront of the world in bad practice during the Covid-19 pandemic in emasculating and marginalising Parliament instead of pioneering  best practices in  new ways and norms for the performance of the parliamentary role of oversight and scrutiny of government measures during the Covid-19 pandemic!

It has been established beyond a shadow of doubt that the government decision of the one-day Parliament on May 18 had been made from a complete misunderstanding of the advice of the Health Ministry and medical experts in mid-April that the movement control order (MCO) imposed on March 18 was effective and successful in breaking the chain of transmission of the coronavirus and that the Covid-19 epidemiological had been  flattened and Malaysia was on downward descent of the curve.

Have the Ministers committed so many blunders, whether on “warm water cure for Covid-19”, “Doraemon”, “Tik-Tok” or serious allegations of  misuse of power and corrupt practices in the discrimination of food aid parcels for needy B40 families in Opposition constituencies that they dare not appear in Parliament for an accounting?

The Cabinet meeting later this morning is the country’s last opportunity to spare the country from the twin ignominy of a one-day Parliament and the bad practice to emasculate and marginalise parliamentary oversight and scrutiny of government actions in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Will the Cabinet do so, putting national interest above all other interests?

Will the Cabinet declare Parliament and the administration of justice as “essential” services in the Covid-19 pandemic, upholding the Malaysian Constitution and the Rukunegara principles of the supremacy of the Constitution, the separation of powers among the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary and the rule of law?

Will there be a virtual miracle by the Cabinet on a virtual Parliament?

We will know this morning.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Wednesday 29th April 2020)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 29 April 2020, 8:30 am and is filed under
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The  government should present a smart and flexible exit plan strategy and blueprint to Parliament to prevent a resurgence of Covid-19 outbreak and to quickly revive the economy devastated by the pandemic

Kerajaan harus membentangkan satu strategi pelan keluar yang bijak dan fleksibel di Parlimen untuk mengelakkan penularan semula wabak Covid-19 dan pada masa yang sama melonjakkan semula ekonomi negara yang terjejas akibat Covid-19

Kita telah memasuki fasa keempat perintah kawalan pergerakan (PKP) yang akan berlangsung sehingga 12 Mei.

Dalam tempoh 12 ke 24 bulan yang akan datang, kita semua perlu menyesuaikan diri dengan era baharu yang akan menjadi norma baharu kita untuk hidup bersama dengan virus Covid-19 ini, sehinggalah satu vaksin yang berkesan dicipta dan tersedia secara meluas.

Norma baharu ini haruslah diasaskan kepada peningkatan kapasiti ujian saringan, penjajakan kontak rapat, kuarantin, dan pembatasan sosial secara universal oleh semua rakyat Malaysia pada setiap masa.

Bahkan perkara ini bukan sahaja terpakai di Malaysia, malah di seluruh dunia. Wabak ini telah sampai ke 216 buah negara dan kawasan, di mana 177 daripadanya telah merekodkan kematian. French Guiana dan Chad telah melaporkan kematian pertama mereka dua hari yang lepas.

Semasa Malaysia mula melaksanakan PKP pada 18 Mac yang lepas, jumlah kematian global berada di paras 8,925 kematian. Dalam tempoh enam minggu yang lalu, jumlah ini telah meningkat 25 kali ganda kepada 226,893 kes. China yang dahulunya mendahului dunia dari jumlah kes positif dan kematian kini tidak lagi berada di dalam kedudukan sepuluh negara dengan jumlah kematian tertinggi dan negara tersebut dijangkakan akan keluar daripada kedudukan sepuluh negara teratas dengan jumlah kes positif Covid-19.

18 negara yang telah merekodkan jumlah kematian empat angka adalah:

1.   Amerika Syarikat – 61,112

2.   Itali – 27,682

3.   United Kingdom – 26,097

4.   Sepanyol – 24,275

5.   Perancis – 24,087

6.   Belgium – 7,501

7.   Jerman – 6,399

8.   Iran – 5,957

9.   Brazil – 5,150

10. Belanda – 4,711

11. China – 4,633

12. Turki – 3,081

13. Kanada – 2,954

14. Sweden – 2,462

15. Switzerland – 1,716

16. Mexico – 1,569

17. Ireland – 1,190

18. India – 1,079

Di peringkat global, lebih daripada tiga juta orang telah dijangkiti dengan Covid-19. Wabak ini mengambil masa 92 hari untuk mencapai sejuta kes yang pertama, 13 hari untuk mencapai sejuta kes kedua dan 12 hari untuk mencapai sejuta kes yang ketiga. Jumlah keseluruhan kes global kini adalah 3,200,414 kes.

Malaysia telah berjaya mengawal penularan gelombang kedua wabak ini, namun kita tidak boleh berasa selesa dan harus sentiasa berjaga-jaga dan mengunapakai strategi yang fleksibel, kreatif, dan lincah untuk mengelakkan sebarang gelombang penularan baharu dan juga untuk membina semula ekonomi negara yang telah dirosakkan oleh wabak ini.

Semasa kita mula melaksanakan PKP pada 18 Mac, Malaysia berada di kedudukan ke-18 dari jumlah kes positif di dunia, dan kedudukan ke-33 dari jumlah kematian. Kini negara kita berada di kedudukan ke-58 dari jumlah kes positif dan kedudukan ke-48 dari jumlah kematian.

Kerajaan telah mengumumkan pelonggaran kawalan pergerakan, di mana sektor yang telah dibenarkan untuk beroperasi secara terhad dalam tiga fasa pertama PKP kini dibenarkan untuk beroperasi secara penuh mulai hari ini.

Kita sekarang berada di dalam satu era baharu yang belum pernah diterokai dalam usaha untuk melonggarkan kawalan pergerakan dan pada masa yang sama berusaha untuk mengekang penyebaran wabak ini dan melonjakkan semula ekonomi negara.

Oleh itu kita haruslah mencontohi tauladan yang baik dan juga perdebatan, dari dalam dan luar negara — untuk belajar daripada kesilapan negara lain, mencontohi kejayaan mereka, dan membangunkan strategi kita sendiri dalam era ekonomi pandemik.

Perdana Menteri Perancis, Edouard Philippe, semasa membentangkan rancangan keluar Kerajaan Perancis telah mengatakan yang tidak mungkin kita boleh fikirkan yang virus ini akan hilang dengan begitu sahaja dan menekankan bahawa rakyat perlu belajar untuk “hidup bersama dengan virus” ini sehinggalah satu vaksin yang berkesan dibangunkan dan tersedia dengan meluas.

Menggunakan istilah perubatan, Philippe berkata “kita perlu belajar untuk hidup bersama dengan virus ini … tidak ada vaksin dalam tempoh terdekat ini, tidak ada rawatan, dan kita tidak ada apa yang dipanggil sebagai imuniti kelompok”.

Menerangkan situasi ini sebagai suatu situasi yang unik, Philippe berkata:

“Siapa yang boleh bayang sebuah Perancis di mana sekolah, universiti, kafe, restoran, kebanyakan perniagannya, perpustakaan … pantai, stadium … ditutup. Kita tidak pernah membayangkan situasi ini di negara kita, baik semasa perang, penjajahan, mahupun semasa wabak sebelum ini.”

Bukan Perancis sahaja yang tidak pernah menghadapi situasi seperti ini, bahkan semua negara di seluruh dunia juga tidak pernah menghadapinya.

Oleh itu, kerajaan harus merangka satu strategi keluar yang bijak dan fleksibel untuk mengelakkan penularan semula wabak Covid-19 dan pada masa yang sama melonjakkan semula ekonomi negara yang terjejas akibat wabak ini. Kita harus mencuba sebaik mungkin untuk mengelakkan penutupan seluruh negara mahupun seluruh negeri pada masa hadapan.

Rancangan keluar ini kemudiannya haruslah dibentangkan kepada Parlimen untuk diperbahaskan dan diluluskan.

(Kenyataan Media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada hari Khamis 30 April 2020)

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

We have started the fourth phase of the movement control order (MCO) until May 12.

In the next 12 – 24 months, we must adapt to abnormal times, which will be the  “new normal” to be able to live with the Covid-19 virus until an effective vaccine is developed and widely available.

This must be based on ramping up Malaysia’s capacity for testing, contact tracing and quarantine and the universal adoption of “social distancing” by all Malaysians, whether at work or play.

This is not just in Malaysia, but throughout the  world, as the outbreak has reached 216 countries and territories, 177 of which have reported fatalities.  French Guiana and Chad reported their first fatalities two days ago.

When Malaysia imposed the MCO on March 18, 2020, global death toll stood at 8,925 deaths. In the past six weeks, the global death toll has increased by more than 25 times to 226,893 cases. China, which had led the world in the early period of the pandemic in both confirmed cases and deaths, has  dropped out of the Top Ten countries for Covid-19 deaths and will drop out of the Top Ten countries for total confirmed cases later this week.

The 18 countries which have recorded four-digit death toll of  over 1,000 Covid-19 deaths are:

1. United States – 61,112

2. Italy – 27,682

3. United Kingdom – 26,097

4. Spain – 24,275

5. France – 24,087

6. Belgium – 7,501

7. Germany – 6,399

8. Iran – 5,957

9. Brazil – 5,150

10. Netherlands – 4,711

11. China – 4,633

12. Turkey – 3,081

13. Canada – 2,954

14. Sweden – 2,462

15. Switzerland – 1,716

16. Mexico – 1,569

17. Ireland – 1,190

18. India – 1,079

Globally, more than three million people have been infected with Covid-19. It took 92 days to reach the first million cases, 13 days to reach the second million and 12 days to reach the third million. The figure now is 3,200,414 cases/

Malaysia had done fairly well in bringing the second wave of the Covid-19 outbreak under control, but we should not be complacent and must always be on the alert and  adopt a flexible, creative and nimble strategy to prevent future Covid-19 waves and  to rebuild the economy devastated by the pandemic.

When Malaysia imposed the MCO on March 18, we were the top 18th country in the world in terms of number of cases, and top 33rd country in terms of Covid-19 deaths. We are now No. 58 in world ranking in terms of number of Covid-19 cases and No. 48 in terms of Covid-19 deaths.

The government has announced relaxation of restrictions where sectors that were allowed to operate at limited capacity during the first three phases of MCO will be permitted to work at full capacity starting today.

We are now in unchartered territory in easing the restrictions to strike a proper balance between containing the disease and reviving the economy and rebuilding the nation.

We should follow the practices and the debate, both in the country and in other countries – to learn from the mistakes of other nations, emulate their successes and develop our own  best practices in the era of pandemic economics.

The French Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, when outlining the French  government’s national exit plan strategy to the French Parliament said it was implausible to think the virus would just “disappear of it’s own accord” and stressed that people have to learn to “live with the virus” until an effective vaccine is developed and available widely.

Using medical terms, Philippe said “we have to learn to live with the virus …. no vaccine will be available in the short term, there is no treatment and we don’t have what they call herd immunity”.

Describing the situation as unique, Philippe said:

“Who could have envisaged a France where schools, universities, cafés, restaurants, the majority of businesses, libraries … beaches, stadia … would be closed. We have never known this situation in our country. Not during the war, not during the occupation, not during previous epidemics.”

It is not just France, but all the nations of the world have never experienced such an unprecedented situation.

The government must  draw up a smart and flexible exit plan strategy and blueprint  to prevent a resurgence of Covid-19 outbreak  and  to quickly revive the economy devastated by the pandemic.  We should try to avoid nation-wide or even state-wide lockdowns in future.

This exit plan strategy and blueprint should be presented to Parliament for deliberation and approval.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Thursday, 30th  April 2020)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 30 April 2020, 9:06 am and is filed under
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Call on Muhyiddin to announce a May Day economic stimulus package for businesses, households and individuals with the extension of the MC0 to May 12, with emphasis to protect workers from being retrenched or having their salaries reduced

Seruan supaya Muhyiddin mengumumkan satu pakej ransangan ekonomi untuk perniagaan, isi rumah, dan rakyat, memandangkan PKP dilanjutkan sehinga 12 Mei, dengan penekanan kepada pelindungan pekerjaan untuk mengelakkan para pekerja daripada dibuang kerja atau dipotong gaji

Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin harus mengumumkan satu pakej ransangan ekonomi Hari Buruh untuk perniagaan, isi rumah, dan rakyat, memandangkan perintah kawalan pergerakan yang dilanjutkan sehingga 12 Mei, dengan memberikan penekanan kepada pelindungan pekerjaan dan pendapatan pekerja daripada dibuang kerja ataupun dipotong gaji.

Pihak kerajaan seharusnya berasa bimbang dengan pengumuman penutupan perniagaan, seperti hotel-hotel besar di Pulau Pinang, Ipoh, dan Melaka.

Pihak International Monetary Fund (IMF) pada bulan Januari lepas telah menjangkakan yang ekonomi dunia akan berkembang sebanyak 3.3 peratus dalam tahun 2020. Namun begitu dalam jangkaan terbarunya, IMF kini menjangkan penguncupan sebanyak 3 peratus, tanpa sebarang senario baik dan dengan pelbagai risiko.

Kerajaan masih belum menggunapakai polisi “melakukan apa sahaja” untuk membantu perniagaan dan para pekerja, terutamanya golongan yang bekerja sendiri dalam menghadapi krisis yang dibawa oleh wabak Covid-19.

Malaysia berada di dalam keadaan yang agak baik dalam perjuangan untuk mengekang penyebaran wabak Covid-19 ini, namun kini negara kita perlu berjuang untuk melawan perjuangan berkembar bagi mengelakkan penularan meluas semula wabak ini dan dalam pada masa yang sama perjuangan untuk melonjakkan semula ekonomi negara.

Walaupun dengan kejayaan ini, kita harus memperakui masih terdapat kelemahan dengan sistem kesihatan kita yang perlu diperbaiki segera, dan juga kita telah melakukan beberapa kesilapan yang tidak boleh diulang lagi.

Satu persoalan yang berlegar di minda rakyat adalah mengapakah kerajaan Muhyiddin masih bertindak seakan-akan negara kita antara negara yang paling teruk terjejas dengan wabak ini sehingga Parlimen Malaysia hanya boleh bersidang selama sehari, sedangkan parlimen di negara-negara lain yang jauh lebih teruk terjejas seperti UK, Itali, Perancis, Sepanyol, dan Jerman boleh terus menjalankan tanggungjawab mereka?

Kabinet Muhyiddin perlu terus memerhatikan situasi di seluruh dunia supaya kita semua boleh belajar daripada kejayaan dan kegagalan negara lain.

Semasa Malaysia mula melaksanakan PKP pada 18 Mac 2020, China merupakan negara teratas dengan jumlah kes positif dan kematian akibat Covid-19, 80,907 kes ataupun kira-kira sepertiga jumlah kes global, dengan 3,248 kematian daripada 8,925 kematian global.

Hari ini, China tidak lagi berada di dalam kedudukan sepuluh teratas baik dari jumlah kes positif mahupun jumlah kematian.

Sepuluh negara teratas dengan jumlah kes positif tertinggi adalah:

1. Amerika Syarikat – 1,091,067

2. Sepanyol – 239,639

3. Itali – 205,463

4. UK – 171,253

5. Perancis – 167,178

6. Jerman – 162,530

7. Turki – 120,204

8. Rusia – 106,498

9. Iran – 94,640

10. Brazil – 85,380

11. China – 82,862

Sebelum PKP, terdapat 218,910 kes Covid-19 di seluruh dunia, kini jumlah kes ini telah meningkat 15 kali ganda kepada 3,298,631 kes.

Semasa PKP dilaksanakan, terdapat tiga negara dengan jumlah kematian empat angka iaitu China, Itali dan Iran.

Hari ini, terdapat 19 negara yang telah mencatatkan jumlah kematian empat angka iaitu:

1. Amerika Syarikat – 63,657

2. Itali – 27,967

3. United Kingdom – 26,771

4. Sepanyol – 24,543

5. Perancis – 24,376

6. Belgium – 7,594

7. Jerman – 6,572

8. Iran – 6,028

9. Brazil – 5,901

10. Belanda – 4,795

11. China – 4,633

12. Kanada – 3180

13. Turki – 3,174

14. Sweden – 2,586

15. Switzerland – 1,737

16. Mexico – 1,732

17. Ireland 1,232

18. India 1,154

19. Peru 1,051

Dalam enam minggu yang lepas, jumlah kematian global telah meningkat 26 kali ganda daripada 8,925 kematian kepada 233,533 kematian.

Semasa kita mula melaksanakan PKP, kita berada di paras ke-18 dari jumlah kes positif dan kedudukan ke-33 dari jumlah kematian. Kini kita berada di kedudukan ke-58 daripada jumlah kes positif dan kedudukan ke-48 dari jumlah kematian.

Malaysia telah berjaya melakukan yang terbaik dalam mengawal gelombang kedua wabak ini, tetapi kita tidak boleh berasa selesa dan harus sentiasa berjaga-jaga dan menggunapakai satu strategi yang fleksibel, kreatif, dan lincah untuk mengelakkan gelombang penularan baharu dan dalam pada masa yang sama membina semula ekonomi negara yang terjejas teruk akibat wabak ini.

Pada hari Selasa, kerajaan Perancis telah membentangkan rancangan keluarnya kepada Parlimen Perancis. Di London, pada hari Rabu, Dewan Rakyat UK telah mengadakan persidangan maya keduanya yang merangkumi waktu soal jawab dan waktu Soal Jawab Perdana Menteri. Jumlah ahli parlimen dan menteri yang hadir secara fizikal adalah kurang daripada satu dozen, memandangkan kebanyakan mereka hadir secara maya daripada rumah atau pejabat masing-masing.

Tetapi di Malaysia, kita belum pun mula membuat sebarang rancangan untuk persidangan Parlimen secara maya.

Bolehkah Perdana Menteri menjelaskan mengapa?

(Mesej Hari Buruh daripada Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada hari Jumaat, 1 Mei 2020)

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

The  Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should  announce a May Day economic stimulus package for businesses, households and individuals with the extension of the movement control order (MCO) to May 12, with the emphasis to protect  the workers from being retrenched  or having their salaries reduced by employers

The government must be concerned that announcements of closure of businesses, like major hotels in Penang, Ipoh and Malacca, are developing a momentum of their own.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast in January that the global economy would grow by 3.3 percent in 2020, however its latest outlook, in April, now forecasts a contraction of 3.0 percent, with no upside scenarios and numerous risks.

The government has yet to adopt a “whatever it takes” policy to help businesses and workers, particularly the self-employed, to face the crisis created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Malaysia has done fairly well in the invisible war to contain the Covid-19 outbreak but it has now to fight a twin-battle to prevent a resurgence of the  Covid-19 outbreak  and to win  the battle to  revive the devastated economy.

Despite our successes, we must acknowledge that we have weaknesses in the health-care system and have made serious mistakes, which we must not repeat.

One question which is haunting Malaysians is why the Muhyiddin government is behaving as if Malaysia is the worst nation in the Covid-19 pandemic in the world to warrant a one-day Parliament when Parliaments in the “worst” nations in the pandemic like UK, Italy, France, Spain and Germany are continuing to  perform their important oversight and scrutiny duties?

Muhyiddin’s Cabinet should look at what is happening in the world in the Covid-19 pandemic as  it is important that  Malaysia should continue to  learn from the success and mistakes of other nations.

When Malaysia imposed the MCO on March 18, 2020, China was the top nation in both the number of Covid-19 confirmed cases, i.e. 80,907 cases or about one third of global total cases and the top nation in terms of total death toll of 8,925, with  China recording  3,248 deaths and  Italy a close second at 2,978 deaths.

Today, China has been excluded from both the  Top Ten  ranking for nations with the most number of Covid-19 cases and the most number of Covid-19 deaths.

The Top Ten countries with the most number of Covid-19 confirmed cases and that of China are:

1. United States – 1,091,067

2. Span – 239,639

3. Italy – 205,463

4. UK – 171,253

5. France – 167,178

6. Germany – 162,530

7. Turkey – 120,204

8. Russia – 106,498

9. Iran – 94,640

10. Brazil – 85,380

11. China – 82,862

Before the MCO, there were 218,910  Covid-19 cases in the world. This has increased 15 times to reach 3,298,631 cases.

When the MCO was imposed on March 18, there were three countries with four-digit death toll, namely  China, Italy and Iran.

Today, there are 19 countries which recorded four-digit death toll of  over 1,000 Covid-19 deaths, viz:

1. United States  – 63,657

2. Italy – 27,967

3. United Kingdom – 26,771

4. Spain – 24,543

5. France – 24,376

6. Belgium – 7,594

7. Germany – 6,572

8. Iran – 6,028

9. Brazil – 5,901

10. Netherlands – 4,795

11. China – 4,633

12. Canada – 3180

13. Turkey – 3,174

14. Sweden – 2,586

15. Switzerland – 1,737

16. Mexico – 1,732

17. Ireland – 1,232

18. India – 1,154

19. Peru – 1,051

In the past six weeks, global death have increased more than 26 times from 8,925 deaths to 233,533 deaths.

When Malaysia imposed the MCO on March 18, we were the top 18th country in the world in terms of number of cases, and top  33rd country  in terms of Covid-19 deaths. We are now No. 58  in world ranking in terms of number of Covid-19 cases and No. 48 in terms of Covid-19 deaths.

Malaysia had done fairly well in bringing the second wave of the Covid-19 outbreak under control, but we should not be complacent and must always be on the alert and  adopt a flexible, creative and nimble strategy  to prevent future Covid-19 waves and  to rebuild the economy devastated by the pandemic.

On Tuesday, the French government presented its exit plan to the French Parliament for approval. In London on Wednesday, the House of Commons held its second “virtual” meeting including Question Time and the Prime Minister’s Question Time. The number of Ministers and MPs physically  present in Parliament were  less than a dozen, as the rest were in their homes or offices.

But in Malaysia, we have not even started making plans for a virtual Parliament.

Could the Prime Minister explain why?

(May Day Message  by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Friday, 1st May 2020)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 1 May 2020, 9:19 am and is filed under
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Government should adopt an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach in the invisible war against  Covid-19 pandemic with Parliament and  administration of justice regarded as “essential services”

Kerajaan harus mengguna pakai pendekatan melibatkan “keseluruhan kerajaan” dan “keseluruhan masyarakat” dalam perjuangan melawan wabak Covid-19 dengan Parlimen dan penyampaian keadilan dikira sebagai “perkhidmatan penting negara”

Satu soalan yang berlegar di fikiran ramai orang semalam selepas pengumuman daripada Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin berkenaan dengan perintah kawalan pergerakan bersyarat (PKPB) dan pelonggaran kawalan pergerakan bermula Isnin ini adalah kerajaan masih lagi belum mengambil pendekatan melibatkan “keseluruhan kerajaan” dan “keseluruhan masyarakat” untuk memastikan kejayaan melawan wabak Covid-19 ini.

Kerana inilah Parlimen dan penyampaian keadilan perlu diumumkan sebagai “perkhidmatan penting negara” sebelum hari Isnin dan kerajaan harus memanggil sidang penuh Parlimen dan bukannya persidangan sehari yang tidak masuk akal pada 18 Mei.

Pada persidangan sehari 18 Mei ini, urusan mesyuarat Parlimen hanyalah merangkumi penyampaian Titah Diraja oleh Yang di Pertuan Agong dan bacaan pertama rang undang-undang kerajaan.

Perbahasan menjunjung Titah Diraja dan rang undang-undang kerajaan yang dibentangkan pada 18 Mei ini telah ditolak ke persidangan Julai Parlimen yang dijangkakan berlangsung selama 25 hari daripada 18 Julai sehingga 27 Ogos.

Jika persidangan sehari ini diadakan, maka Parlimen akan mencipta satu sejarah baharu di mana ahli parlimen perlu hadir namun tidak dibenarkan untuk berbahas, di mana mereka dijangka untuk berdiam diri seperti orang bodoh!

Dalam persidangan Julai Parlimen, tradisi perbahasan menjunjung Titah Diraja yang kebiasaannya berjalan selama 12 hari telah dipendekkan ke lapan hari, di mana tempoh perbahasan 8 hari telah dipendekkan kepada hanya empat hari, disusuli dengan empat hari jawapan daripada menteri.

Perkara ini adalah merepek dan tidak boleh diterima. Sepatutnya waktu jawapan menteri selama empat hari itu yang dipendekkan dan bukannya waktu perbahasan oleh ahli parlimen.

Perdana Menteri harus mengembalikan persidangan penuh pada 18 Mei, di mana ahli parlimen akan berpeluang untuk menyampaikan pendapat dan aduan rakyat, terutamanya ketika PKP semasa Parlimen bersidang.

Sementara itu, persiapan haruslah dijalankan supaya persidangan Parlimen dan Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas secara maya boleh diadakan apabila Parlimen bersidang pada 18 Mei.

Wabak Covid-19 kini dianggap jauh lebih merbahaya daripada sebarang wabak-wabak lain dalam sejarah terdekat. Ramai yang percaya yang wabak ini telah mengorbankan jauh lebih banyak nyawa berbanding dengan angka rasmi.

Di peringkat global, jumlah jangkitan Covid-19 telah mencecah 3.4 juta manakala jumlah kematian kini menghampiri 240,000.

Kita perlu memastikan yang kawalan pergerakan Covid-19 tidak memusnahkan ekonomi negara dan perkara ini memerlukan pendekatan yang melibatkan “keseluruhan kerajaan” dan “keseluruhan masyarakat” untuk meraih sokongan, solidariti, dan perpaduan terhadap sebarang tindakan kerajaan dalam melawan wabak ini.

(Kenyataan Media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada hari Sabtu 2 Mei 2020)

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

One question uppermost in everyone’s mind after the announcement by the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday on the conditional movement control order (CMCO) and the easing of restrictions beginning on Monday is that the government has yet to adopt an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach if the invisible war against the Covid-19 pandemic is going to be successful in Malaysia.

This is why Parliament and the administration of justice should be declared “essential services” before Monday  in the Covid-19 pandemic, and the government should allow a full-meeting of Parliament instead of a ridiculous  one-day sitting on May 18.

At the one-day sitting of Parliament on 18th May, there will only be the delivery of the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s royal address and the presentation of government bills for first reading.

Debates for the traditional motion of thanks and on the government bills presented on May 18  have been pushed off to the July meeting of Parliament scheduled for 25 days  from July 13 – August 27, 2020.

If the one-day sitting of Parliament is held, then Malaysian MPs will be creating world parliamentary history as the first Parliament where MPs meet but cannot speak, as they are expected only  to be dumb!

In the July meeting of Parliament, the traditional 12-day debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address  has be slashed to eight days, with the eight-day debate by MPs halved to four days, followed by four-day replies by Ministers.

This is most ridiculous and unacceptable. It is the four-day replies from Ministers which should be slashed instead of the eight days of debate from the backbenchers.

The Prime Minister should restore the full meeting of Parliament from May 18, where MPs have the opportunity to articulate the views and grievances of the people, especially during the MCO when Parliament meets.

In the meantime, preparations should be made so that virtual proceedings of Parliament and Parliamentary Select Committees could be held when Parliament reconvenes on May 18.

The Covid-19 pandemic is now widely considered more threatening than any other recent viral epidemic. Most believe that many more have been infected or even died than officially confirmed.

Globally, the number of  Covid-19 infections have nearly  reached 3.4 million while the global death toll is near 240,000.

We must ensure that the Covid-19 lockdown is not also an economic knockout for Malaysia.

This necessitates an “all-of government” and “whole-of-society” approach, to rally support, solidarity and unity for  the actions by the government in the invisible war against  the coronavirus.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Saturday May 2, 2020）

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 2 May 2020, 9:40 am and is filed under
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Government should not bulldoze through with a one-day sitting of Parliament as it not only violates the Constitution and the parliamentary standing  orders, it also breeds distrust and undermines confidence when public trust and confidence are keys to Malaysia winnin the invisible war against the Covid-19 pandemic

The Government should not bulldoze through with a one-day sitting of Parliament as it not only violates the Constitution and the parliamentary standing orders, it breeds distrust and undermines confidence which are inimical to the “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach which are   keys  to Malaysia winning the  invisible war against the Covid-19 pandemic.

As the Health Director-General Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah said yesterday, we are now on a different battlefield: having succeeded in flattening the curve, the Malaysian public  must now learn to live with the coronavirus  for the next year or two until an effective vaccine is developed and widely available – ensuring that there is no resurgence of Covid-19 while  reviving the economy which had been devastated by the Covid-19 outbreak.

All Malaysians must be engaged in the invisible war against Covid-19 in the next 12-24 months by abiding by the standard operating procedures (SOP) for every sector, with social distancing the main plank of the strategy.

Public trust and confidence are the key factors in this new battle in the invisible war against Covid-19  – and the government must be in the forefront to set such an  example.

If the government sets the bad example of disregard for the Malaysian Constitution and parliamentary standing orders, how is it going to generate trust and confidence and therefore support and solidarity from the Malaysian general public for the invisible  war effort against Covid-19?

The convening of a one-day Parliament is against the Constitution and the parliamentary standing orders as this is neither provided for by the Constitution nor the standing orders.

MPs received an email notice from Parliament on April 17 that there will be “no oral question sessions, written questions, motions and special chambers” during the one-day Parliament on May 18 but only  the presentation of government bills.

The is putting the cart before the horse!

Standing Orders 14(1) set out what should be the regular Order of Business of any parliamentary sitting, and Question Time is high on the list of the regular Order of Business, ranked No. 8,  while the presentation of government bills for first reading is rated much lower and ranked No. 14.

There is provision under S.O.26(i) to suspend Standing Orders and to change the regular “Order of Business” but this must be by way of a parliamentary motion which does not require notice to be given and passed by the House.

However, until such a motion is passed by the Dewan Rakyat, the order of business is as set out by S.O. 14(1).

Parliament was premature in sending out notice for a one-day Parliament and in changing the regular  “order of business” under S.O. 14(i), when such a change is only valid when a motion to that effect is passed by Parliament, as even the Speaker of the House has no powers to suspend the Standing Orders.

I therefore call on the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to respect and uphold the Malaysian Constitution and the parliamentary standing orders and to ensure that Parliament meets for a full session instead of a ridiculous one-day Parliament on May 18.

This would also mean that MPs can send in their parliamentary questions until the Dewan Rakyat passed a motion to change the regular Order of Business on May 18.

I would be sending my questions to Parliament tomorrow.

The Parliaments of the nations worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, like United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Italy, France and Germany are  in forefront in the invisible war against Covid-19 in their respective countries.

Parliament of Malaysia must not be on the side-lines, completely marginalised and emasculated in the pandemic.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Sunday, 3rd May 2020)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 3 May 2020, 10:28 am and is filed under
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Call on Malaysians to sign the online petition for at least a  two-week Parliament to focus on Covid-19 pandemic  and not a one-day Parliament on May 18 where MPs could not speak at all

Seruan kepada semua rakyat Malaysia untuk menandatangani petisyen atas talian menggesa sekurang-kurangnya persidangan Parlimen selama dua minggu yang bertumpukan kepada isu-isu berkaitan wabak Covid-19

Saya seru semua rakyat Malaysia untuk menandatangani petisyen atas talian yang menggesa Parlimen untuk bersidang sekurang-kurangnya untuk tempoh dua minggu untuk membahaskan isu-isu berkaitan dengan pengendalian wabak Covid-19, dan bukan persidangan sehari di mana ahli-ahli parlimen tidak diberi ruang untuk berbahas langsung.

Petisyen atas talian tersebut yang dilancarkan oleh Aliran bulan lepas tersebut — yang menyeru sekurang-kurangnya dua minggu persidangan Parlimen bermula 18 Mei — menyatakan:

“Persidangan sehari Parlimen ini kelihatan dilakukan semata-mata untuk memenuhi keperluan Perlembagaan supaya Parlimen bersidang sekurang-kurangnya setiap enam bulan. Kali terakhir Parlimen bersidang adalah dalam bulan Disember 2019.

“Perbuatan melewatkan persidangan sebenar Parlimen ke bulan Julai — lebih daripada lapan bulan sejak persidangan yang terakhir — ini menghina keperluan Perlembagaan ini, yang bertujuan untuk memastikan cabang eksekutif tidak memonopoli kuasa tanpa sebarang semak imbang Parlimen untuk satu tempoh yang terlalu lama.

“Kami seru supaya persidangan Parlimen diadakan sekurang-kurangnya dua minggu, bermula 18 Mei (tanpa mengira minggu cuti sambutan Hari Raya) — mungkin dengan melalui sistem persidangan video atau pun dengan penjarakan sosial yang bersesuaian — supaya semua isu-isu penting boleh dibentangkan dan dibahaskan secepat mungkin!”

Petisyen ini harus disokong oleh semua rakyat Malaysia yang mahu melihat demokrasi berparlimen kekal subur di Malaysia dan tidak menjadi satu sistem yang dihilangkan daripadanya segala semangat dan erti demokrasi berparlimen dengan, di mana prinsip-prinsip utama yang termaktub di dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan seperti pemisahan kuasa di antara cabang-cabang utama kerajaan dan kedaulatan undang-undang dicabuli begitu sahaja.

Petisyen atas talian ini boleh diakses melalui pautan berikut:

https://www.change.org/p/prime-minister-yab-muhyiddin-yassin-get-parliament-to-sit-for-2-weeks-from-18-may-not-just-1-day

Kerajaan telah bertindak dengan satu cara yang tidak masuk akal apabila mereka memutuskan untuk mengadakan persidangan Parlimen selama sehari pada 18 Mei. Kerajaan juga tidak mempunyai sebarang rancangan untuk mengadakan persidangan secara maya untuk Parlimen dan Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas, terutamanya untuk isu-isu kesihatan. Sedangkan rakyat Malaysia telah diberitahu oleh kerajaan untuk bersedia hidup bersama Covid-19 ini mungkin sehingga dua tahun lamanya — sebelum satu vaksin yang berkesan berjaya dicipta dan tersedia secara meluas.

Marilah kita semua tandatangani petisyen ini.

(Komen Media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada hari Isnin 4 Mei 2020)

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

I call on all Malaysians to sign the online petition for at least a two-week Parliament to focus on the Covid-19 pandemic and not a one-day Parliament on May 18 where Members of Parliament could not speak at all.

The online petition, launched by Aliran last month, called for at least a two-week parliamentary meeting from 18th May said:

“This farcical one-day parliamentary sitting appears to be just to fulfil the constitutional requirement that Parliament should convene no later than six months from the last parliamentary sitting. Parliament last met in December 2019.

“To defer the actual proceedings to July – more than eight months from the last proper sitting – makes a mockery of this constitutional requirement, which was aimed at ensuring that the executive does not hold a monopoly of power without any parliamentary oversight for too long.

“We call for at least a two-week parliamentary sitting from 18 May (excluding the Raya break) – perhaps through teleconferencing or with proper social distancing – to be held as soon as possible so that critical issues can be tabled and debated immediately!”

The petition deserves the support of all Malaysians who want to see parliamentary democracy flourish in Malaysia and not a system which is emptied of all meaning of parliamentary democracy and  violating the important principles enshrined in the Malaysian Constitution on the separation of powers and the rule of law.

The online petition is available at the site:

https://www.change.org/p/prime-minister-yab-muhyiddin-yassin-get-parliament-to-sit-for-2-weeks-from-18-may-not-just-1-day

The Malaysian government is obdurate in its decision to hold a one-day Parliament on May 18. The government has also no plan to prepare for a virtual Parliament and Parliamentary Select Committees, especially on Health and Social Care although Malaysians have been urged by the government to prepare for the Covid-19 pandemic to last for as long as the next two years – until an effective vaccind is developed and widely available.

Let us sign the online petition to  make a difference.

(Media Comment by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Monday, 4th May 2020)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 4 May 2020, 2:48 pm and is filed under
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