PETALING JAYA: The National Recovery Plan is a great disappointment and let-down as it offers no light at the end of the tunnel, DAP leader Lim Kit Siang(pix) said today.
He gave five reasons for doubting Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s national recovery plan.
“Firstly, it is a misnomer. It is not about national recovery to chart the country’s return to the pre-pandemic era but how to bring the Covid-19 pandemic under control,” Lim said in a statement.
“The Covid-19 Pandemic Exit Plan to see the end of the pandemic is different from the National Recovery Plan for the economic, educational, social and political recovery of Malaysia from the devastation of the pandemic to the lives, economy and society of Malaysians.
“The National Recovery Plan can only really begin when the pandemic has ended.”
It is like talking about a national recovery plan when a war is still going at full blast, he said, adding that a national recovery plan can only begin when the war has ended.
“For one, it is impossible to bring back to life the 4,069 who have perished – but how many more will die before Malaysians see the end of the Covid-19 pandemic?
“Secondly, it is 16 months too late, for the Covid-19 Pandemic Exit Plan should have been drawn up at the beginning of the pandemic and not after 16 months of the pandemic.”
Lim asked what type of a “national recovery” planning is offered when the economy almost collapsed as it cost approximately RM2.4 billion a day during MCO 1.0.
“Thirdly, Muhyiddin has ignored the elephant in the room and failed to explain why Malaysia had suddenly become one of the world’s top worst performing nations in the Covid-19 pandemic.
“On Nov 18, 2020, we ranked No. 85 among countries with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases.
“Now, some seven months later, with 667,876 Covid-19 cases, we have overtaken Austria and is now ranked No. 38 among countries with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases. We will overtake Switzerland to be ranked No. 37 in the world before June 28,” he added.
Fourthly, the refusal to immediately convene Parliament and the variousState Assemblies until Phase Three of the government’s Covid-19 exit plan sometime in September or October, Lim said.
“This is a major reason why Muhyiddin’s live national telecast yesterday will not be able to restore public trust and confidence in the government handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The proclamation of emergency, the unconstitutional suspension of Parliament and the various State Assemblies and the Covid-19 SOP flip-flops, U-turns and double-standards were the major reasons for the unprecedented deficit in public trust and confidence in the government’s handling of the war against Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.
“Fifthly, a former Minister messaged me that what Muhyiddin announced yesterday was ‘Zero Plan’.
“When Muhyiddin announced the total lockdown less than three weeks ago, he was talking about a ‘three-phase’ total lockdown. Now Muhyiddin is talking about a ‘four-phase’ total lockdown.
“Will there be more phases come September or October?” Lim asked.
