Speech by MP for Iskandar Puteri, Lim Kit Siang during a zoom meeting of DAP leaders in Perak on 22 September 2021:

DAP will go all out to co-operate to ensure that Malaysia wins the war against Covid-19 pandemic but we will be unsparing in our criticisms when things go wrong

The primary reason for the confidence-supply-reform (CSR) memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri and Pakatan Harapan leaders is the worsening Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the Worldometer website, we have beaten all the major nations in the world – whether China, India, Russia, Japan, United States, United Kingdom, Indonesia or Australia in the category of “Deaths in the last seven days per 1 million population”.

The only states worse than Malaysia are some of the mini-states and small island nations having population of less than three million people.

We have registered over two million Covid-19 cases in the last 21 months and reaching 25,000 Covid-19 deaths, including some 5,000 Brought-in-Dead (BID) Covid-19 deaths – a shocking number when we think of Malaysia in terms of our population.

Can we imagine of the mammoth tragedy, devastation and sorrow the Covid-19 pandemic has caused Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or politics?

This is the time for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or politics to unite and overcome this common but invisible enemy, the Coronavirus which has wrought such havoc on the lives and livelihoods of Malaysians and damaged the national fabric of Malaysia whether homes, schools, universities, factories or offices.

In fact, the Covid-19 pandemic has become a test whether we can unite as Malaysians to fight the common but invisible enemy.

The DAP is a Malaysian patriotic party owing loyalty, love and dedication to all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or politics.

This is why the DAP will go all out to co-operate to ensure that Malaysia wins the war against the Covid-19 pandemic, as the alternative is unthinkable, but we will be unsparing in our criticisms where things go wrong.

Let me be frank – the only redeeming feature of the Cabinet of the Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri, is the appointment of Khairy Jamaluddin as the new Health Minister.

All Malaysians want Khairy Jamaluddin to succeed in winning the war against the Covid-19 pandemic which poses an existential threat to Malaysia and I am not shy to say that I am no exception.

I will be unsparing in my views and criticisms of Khairy in the war against Covid-19 pandemic, not because I want him to fail but because I want him to succeed!