PERIKATAN Nasional will not be kept in check after the declaration of emergency, said DAP’s Lim Guan Eng. 

The party secretary-general said since there will be no opposition to question the PN government either in Parliament or state assemblies, the government will be let away easily. 

“Will the performance of the PN government improve with an emergency proclamation? 

“This is unlikely with the suspension of Parliament, when there are no longer any restraint against abuse of power, the upholding accountability and transparency without parliamentary oversight or checks and balances provided by the opposition,” Lim said in a statement today. 

The Bagan MP also questioned the need for an emergency when Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced a second movement-control order (MCO) for certain states only yesterday, which is able to cope with the pandemic.  

“Why the need for an MCO yesterday with an emergency proclamation today?

“Policy flip-flops, double standards and sheer incompetency by the PN federal government caused Malaysians to lose both our lives and livelihood in the battle against Covid-19. 

“The endless politicking for survival following Muhyiddin’s loss of parliamentary majority resulted in the PN government failing to focus on the job at hand,” Lim said. 

The opposition agreed against holding elections during the Covid-19 pandemic and only PN’s ally, Umno, was pushing for snap polls, said Lim.

“Only Umno is making this demand. All other political parties, including the opposition PH and DAP, oppose the call for early general election. Therefore, it does not make sense when Umno commands only 39 out of 222 seats in Parliament,” Lim said. 

The former finance minister suggests a further injection of RM45 billion to ease the burden of the people during the emergency and MCO.

“We can create new sources of economic growth and slow down retrenchments, job losses, business closures and save the economic livelihood of the people by providing a RM45 billion economic stimulus package,” Lim said.

This sum would include an increase for monthly welfare payments up to RM1,000, automatic extension of the moratorium, work hiring incentives for employers and RM10 billion in financial grants for businesses, among others. 

Lim also took to task the government for not securing the vaccine for Covid-19 fast enough, as Health Minister Dr Adham Baba just signed the agreement despite neighbour Singapore already administering it. – January 12, 2021.