As a first step to an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” war against the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic to save lives and livelihoods in Malaysia , let all Malaysians and political parties reach a national consensus that a Warisan candidate would take uncontested the parliamentary seat of Batu Sapi, vacated by the death of former Minister Liew Vui Keong.
The Election Commission has announced that nomination for the Batu Sapi by-election will be on Nov. 23rd and polling on Dec. 5.
This would preserve the status quo in Parliament.
Let all Malaysians and political parties agree that a Warisan candidate will take Batu Sapi parliamentary seat uncontested as a first step in an “all-of-government” and “whole-of society” war against the third wave of Covid-19 pandemic
The first decision of the special Cabinet meeting today must be to launch an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” war against the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic by forging parliamentary unity and solidarity against the Covid-19 pandemic and making it the foremost agenda in the 27-day budget Parliament beginning on Nov. 2.
The country must move forward and not go backwards to ensure that these five Rukun Negara principles inform every decision and step that is taken to fight the war against the Covid-19 pandemic and flatten the curve of the third wave.
The second concern of the special Cabinet meeting today must be Sabah, how to break the back of the problem of Sabah becoming an epicentre in the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Yesterday’s 823 new Covid-19 cases provided a respite from the four-digit record of 1,228 cases the previous day. Let us pray and hope that Malaysia only breached once the four-digit figure of daily increase of Covid-19 cases and that we see progress to “flatten the curve” of the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The cumulative total of Covid-19 cases is now 26,565 infections, causing Malaysia to overtake South Korea from the 89th to 88th position in the world’s ranking of nations with most Covid-19 infections.
We must not slip any further. In fact, there is no reason why we should not do better than Thailand in the war against Covid-19 pandemic as Thailand has double our population. Thailand is now ranked No. 146 among nations with the most Covid-19 infections – with 3,736 Covid-19 cases and 59 fatalities as compared to Malaysia’s 26,565 cases and 229 fatalities.
Malaysians deserve better and we must do better in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lim Kit Siang
MP for Iskandar Puteri
