Memorandum Of Understanding(MOU) Between The Federal Government And PH Is To Engineer Momentous Institutional Reforms As Well As Save Lives And Livelihoods With An RM45 Billion Economic Turnaround Plan and a new National Covid-19 Reset Plan.

The MOU between the Federal government and PH is designed to engineer momentous institutional reforms as well as save lives and livelihoods with an RM45 billion Economic Turnaround Plan and a new National COVID-19 Reset Plan. The RM45 billion Economic Turnaround Plan would also be accompanied by an unprecedented effort to waive interest for 3 months during the bank loan moratorium period for the lowest 50% of the population.

I have spoken to Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz after the signing ceremony in Parliament House to consider also SMEs.

With the second highest daily death on 13.9.2021 of 413, bringing the total death toll to a tragic 21,124, there is an urgent need for a fresh approach to deal both with the rising deaths and infections which is now approaching 2 million cases. The need for a COVID-19 National Reset Plan is recognised in the  MOU that provides for both accelerated vaccination to achieve herd immunity and implementation of mass test screening of Find, Test, Trace, Isolate and Support plus vaccination (FTTIS+V) as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as well as ensure our hospitals and health services are fully manned and funded with sufficient ICU beds, medicines, and facilities to care for sick patients.

Only after these measures are taken can we move from a policy of containment to mitigation and living with COVID-19, to allow a full reopening of the economy. This is where the RM45 Economic Turnaround Plan accompanied by an “interest waiver” during the bank loan moratorium period comes in to slow down business closures especially SMEs, and assist workers losing their incomes or jobs

Protect Our Young and The Future Of Our Young

The most significant institutional reform is the Anti-Hopping Law to stop the horse-trading or buying and selling of MPs for personal gain. There is also a reduction of the voting age to 18 and implementation of the 1963 Malaysia Agreement. The parliamentary reforms allowing MPs to play their rightful role of government oversight as well as check and balance is equally crucial.

Hopefully apart from saving lives and livelihoods, this will also help to protect our young and the future of our young. Whether these noble objectives will be achieved in the set hinges on its execution which will be monitored by a steering committee with equal representation involving 5 Ministers from the government and 5 from the opposition. Whilst the MOU has been agreed upon, the tougher part is in its execution. There is still a long way to go and scepticism about the government’s sincerity is understandable.

However, there should be a moratorium on the endless political numbers game, political horse-trading and buying of MPs like cattle that benefits dishonest politicians seeking power and positions at the expense of dealing with the real national crisis of COVID-19 and economic recession. DAP recognises that the MOU signing in the current political climate is not ideal, more so when dealing with a political opponent that has no history and no commitment towards political reforms.

However, PH and DAP is willing to try to force them to carry out these reforms and at the same time follow our plans to save lives and livelihoods by leveraging on their fears of losing power by another internal coup from their fragmented government. This is the reason PH and DAP refuses to accept posts and positions by joining the government, choosing instead to remain in opposition to play not only our role as check and balance, but to also offer a real alternative to the people of a people’s government guided by principles, ideals, ideas.

Lim Guan Eng

DAP Secretary-General