PETALING JAYA: Prospects are bright for a confidence-supply-reform accord between the government and opposition to single-mindedly gain control of the Covid-19 pandemic with parliamentary and institutional reforms.
DAP leader Lim Kit Siang (pix) expressed this confidence based on the comments of Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin who is also the Bersatu secretary-general, and the Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.
Hamzah had said Bersatu is agreeable to such an understanding between the government and the opposition to create a “new political landscape” that would bring stability to the country.
It would also enable all political parties to abide by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree for politicians to work together and manage the Covid-19 pandemic as a united team, Lim said.
Saifuddin called for a political ceasefire between the government and the opposition to ensure that Malaysia is able to focus on containing the Covid-19 pandemic and reviving the economy.
“During this cooling-off period, we need to reset the system,” Saifuddin said. “We have complained about so many things, so I strongly believe that we need to reset the system, which will entail all kinds of work.
“I would like, in particular, for the parliamentarians to adhere to the royal decree so that we could reduce the political disputes.”
Lim said he supports the idea of a confidence-supply-reform understanding between the government and opposition.
“In fact, more than two months ago on June 17, I mooted as a matter of personal opinion the idea of a political moratorium to focus single-mindedly on one national priority - to win the war against the Covid-19 pandemic and to ensure that the Covid-19 fatalities in Malaysia do not exceed 5,000 deaths,” he said in a statement today.
“I was responding to the special Conference of Rulers meeting a day earlier and I said the Rulers’ special meeting should be an occasion for the country to make a new start in the war against Covid-19 pandemic, which had caused devastating consequences to the life, economy and society of Malaysians, registering a cumulative total of 673,025 Covid-19 cases and 4,142 Covid-19 deaths at the time.
“I called for a political moratorium so that the country could single-mindedly overcome the ‘existential threat’ posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The Iskandar Puteri MP said he also called for parliamentary reform and a “new vision” of the role that can be played by Parliament and the various parliamentary select committees to win the war against the Covid-19 pandemic. — Bernama
