PRIME Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob must prioritise the economy and public healthcare reforms in order to win the battle against Covid-19, Lim Guan Eng said.

The statement from the former finance minister came after Ismail yesterday vowed to introduce seven political reforms, which include limiting the tenure of the prime minister to 10 years and the tabling of an anti-party hopping bill.

“Only (with) a whole-of-society approach towards reforms in politics, economy and public healthcare, can there be a united focus to win the battle against Covid-19 and rescue the beleaguered economy to save lives and livelihoods,” the DAP secretary-general said today.

Lim said Putrajaya must institute a RM45 billion economic turnaround plan and a waiver of interest during the bank loan moratorium period.

Apart from having the economic plan, Lim urged the government to establish the National Covid-19 Reset Plan to move from a policy of containment to eliminate Covid-19 to one of mitigation (and) living with the virus.

“We have to form a one-off financial “band aid” (of) regular and periodical financial assistance to normalise (an) economy that has sustained more than RM500 billion in economic losses, (so it can) once again enjoy sustainable economic growth.”

“The Finance Ministry must urgently inject RM45 billion to top up the RM65 billion Covid-19 fund, which is nearly exhausted after having only RM8.6 billion left to spend for the second half of 2021 compared to RM18.4 billion already spent for the first half of 2021.”

“With the RM38 billion used in 2020, this meant that the total spent under the Covid-19 fund up to the first half of 2021 amounts to RM56.4 billion,” said Lim.

The Bagan MP explained that, for the remaining six months left in 2021, only RM8.6 billion is left from the RM65 billion Covid-19 fund, which is less than 50% of the RM18.4 billion spent for the first six months of the year.

“In other words, only RM27 billion will be spent in 2021 as compared to RM38 billion in 2020 on battling Covid-19 and providing financial aid.”

“RM8.6 billion is not enough to battle and win Covid-19 or pull the economy out of the recession for the second half of the year,” he added.

In his own calculation, Lim said RM27 billion for 2021 is insufficient and that the government must immediately inject RM45 billion to save lives and livelihoods.

“If RM38 billion (could) be spent to battle Covid-19 and on financial aid in 2020, RM27 billion for 2021 is definitely insufficient.

 “What is required is an immediate injection of RM45 billion,” he stressed.

Ismail on Friday put forth seven offers for parliamentary transformation and governance reform and also offered to give ministerial status to the opposition leader.

“The offers are intended to create a new political landscape with the transformation and reform of governance, especially in strengthening the role of the parliamentary institution,” he said in a statement.

Other offers include the implementation of Undi18 in the near future, with the tabling of a constitutional amendment, and the inclusion of opposition members in the national recovery council. – September 11, 2021.