30th August 2021
Malaysia appears trapped in an unrelenting nightmare of a surging Covid-19 pandemic with record 1,706,089 infections and 16,087 deaths as well as an economic crisis that has threatened our family’s survival and destroyed livelihoods.
DAP is willing to look to the future and take the difficult step to work with the new government of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri by adopting a National Covid-19 Reset Plan and an RM45 billion Economic Turnaround Plan to normalize our country and economy.
This normalization plan will enable us to carry on with our lives, to work to earn a living, carry on with our business, go back to school and inspire hope amongst the young that they can aspire to realize their full potential instead of a future blighted by total lockdown and relying on food parcels.
This willingness to collaborate to fight Covid-19 and overcome the economic crisis should not be mistaken as PH or DAP forming a unity government with Ismail Sabri.
Nothing is further from the truth. DAP will still remain in the opposition to play our constitutional role as a check and balance on the government, a voice of the people, standing up for ideals and principles as well as fighting against injustices. We are willing to work together if we can achieve institutional reforms, especially the constitutional amendment requiring 2/3 majority to enact an Anti-Hopping Law.
With 1 out of 18 Malaysians being infected with COVID-19, we can not wait. The National Covid-19 Reset Plan must accelerate vaccination, provide mass test screening of Find, Test, Trace, Isolate and Support plus vaccination (FTTIS+V) as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and ensure our hospitals and health services are fully manned and funded with sufficient ICU beds, medicines, and facilities to care for sick patients. The RM 45 billion Economic Turnaround Plan must focus on direct, regular financial aid and injection of funds instead of the orthodox “one-off” approach and indirect assistance of loans and guarantees.est
Let us revive the Malaysian Dream filled with hope and promise of a brighter future of all. Let us climb up from ranking last on the Bloomberg Normalcy Index of 53 countries but rise up to be a nation with pride that gives equal opportunity to all, let professional experts and not incompetent politicians decide, and restore the national spirit of togetherness that we can prevail over Covid-19 and economic crisis.
Lim Guan Eng
DAP Secretary-General
