One-day sitting of Parliament on May 18 must be reconsidered by Muhyiddin as Parliament should not be shunted off, emasculated or marginalised but must play a major role in galvanising national unity and solidarity during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as providing scrutiny to ensure the most effective strategy to overcome Covid-19 crisis and the best exit plan for economic recovery


Persidangan Parlimen selama sehari pada 18 Mei mestilah dipertimbangkan semula oleh Muhyiddin memandangkan Parlimen tidak sepatutnya di diperlemah dan diketepikan tetapi sepatutnya memainkan peranan dalam menggerakkan perpaduan negara dan solidariti semasa wabak Covid-19 dan pada masa yang sama, meneliti rancangan kerajaan bagi memastikan kita mempunyai strategi terbaik untuk menangani wabak Covid-19 dan untuk melonjakkan semula ekonomi negara

Wabak Covid-19 terus mara di peringkat global, melepasi paras 2.2 juta kes positif dan merekodkan lebih daripada 153,000 kematian, didahului dengan Amerika Syarikat dan United Kingdom.

Dalam tempoh 24 jam yang lepas sahaja, di Amerika Syarikat, terdapat peningkatan sebanyak 22,664 kes positif baharu dan 2,305 kematian baharu direkodkan, membawa jumlah keseluruhan kes positif di negara tersebut ke 700,234 kes dan sejumlah 36,922 kematian. Pada masa yang sama, United Kingdom pula merekodkan 5,599 kes positif dan 847 kematian baharu membawa rekod mereka ke 108,692 kes dengan 14,576 kematian secara keseluruhannya.

Tiga negara yang sebelum ini menjadi pusat utama penularan wabak ini, Sepanyol, Itali, dan Perancis, kini telah melepasi fasa kemuncak wabak ini. Sepanyol merekodkan peningkatan 3,219 kes baharu dengan 316 kematian, membawa jumlah keseluruhan mereka kepada 188,167 kes dan 19,631 kematian; Itali merekodkan peningkatan 3,493 kes baharu dengan 575 kematian, dengan jumlah keseluruhan 172,434 kes dan 22,745 kematian; Perancis pula merekodkan 1,909 kes dan 761 kematian baharu, membawa jumlah keseluruhannya kepada 147,969 kes dengan 18,861 kematian.

Malaysia berada dalam keadaan yang jauh lebih baik, berdasarkan data yang diumumkan oleh Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah semalam, kita berhadapan peningkatan 69 kes baharu, peningkatan terendah sejak 14 Mac, dengan sejumlah 5251 kes disahkan. Dua kematian baharu direkodkan, membawa jumlah keseluruhan kematian kepada 86 nyawa.

Yang lebih penting lagi, semalam adalah hari kelima berturut-turut di mana jumlah pesakit Covid-19 yang disahkan pulih melebihi jumlah kes baharu, dengan 2,967 jumlah keseluruhan pesakit pulih, sekitar 56.5 peratus daripada jumlah yang positif.

Jika dibandingkan dengan kadar 56.5% di Malaysia, kadar pemulihan di Amerika Syarikat dan pusat penularan utama di Eropah adalah lebih rendah — Amerika Syarikat (8.4%), Sepanyol (39.7%), Itali (24.8%), Perancis (23.3%), United Kingdom (tidak diumumkan).

Kerana itulah saya terkejut, semasa saya sedang menonton video mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Kesihatan dan Penjagaan Sosial Parlimen UK berkenaan “Pengurusan Bencana Koronavirus” di mana Menteri Kesihatan dan Penjagaan Sosial UK, Matt Hancock hadir untuk sesi soal jawab selama 150 minit bersama dengan ahli-ahli Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas tersebut, saya telah menerima emel daripada Setiausaha Dewan Rakyat, memberitahu yang sesi Dewan Rakyat yang kebiasaannya berjalan selama sebulan, bermula pada 18 Mei, telah dipendekkan kepada sehari sahaja.

Menurut notis Parlimen, persidangan ini hanya akan melibatkan Titah Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di-Pertuan Agong untuk membuka sesi baharu Parlimen, tetapi perbahasan usul menjunjung titah baginda ditangguhkan ke mesyuarat kedua Parlimen yang dijadualkan pada bulan Julai 2020 (13 Julai – 27 Ogos).

Perkara ini amatlah tidak boleh diterima memandangkan ia memperlekehkan Parlimen.

Keputusan untuk memendekkan persidangan Parlimen kepada sehari pada 19 Mei ini mestilah dipertimbangkan semula oleh Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin kerana Parlimen tidak boleh diperlemah dan diketepikan tetapi harus memainkan peranan utama dalam menggerakkan perpaduan negara dan solidariti semasa wabak Covid-19 dan pada dalam masa yang sama meneliti rancangan kerajaan bagi memastikan negara kita mempunyai strategi terbaik untuk menangani krisis ini dan melonjakkan semula ekonomi negara.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri, Lim Kit Siang pada hari Sabtu 18 April 2020)

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The global Covid-19 pandemic surges on, surpassing 2.2 million mark for confirmed cases and over 153,000 fatalities, with United States and United Kingdom as the two leading epicentres of the pandemic.

In the past 24 hours, there was an increase of 22,664 new cases to reach a total of 700,234 cases and an increase of 2,305 new deaths to reach a total death toll of 36,922 deaths in the United States, while there was an increase of 5,599 new cases to reach a total of 108,692 cases and an increase of 847 deaths to reach a total death toll of 14,576 in the United Kingdom.

The three countries which had previously been the epicentres, Spain, Italy and France, have passed the peak of the curve – with Spain recording an increase of 3,219 cases, totalling 188,167 cases with 316 new deaths, totalling death toll of 19,631; Italy recording an increase of 3,493 cases totalling 172,434 cases with 575 new deaths, totalling death toll of 22,745; and France, with 1,909 new cases totalling 147,969 cases, with 761 new deaths totalling death toll of 18,681.

Malaysia is doing much better from the data announced by the Health Director-General, Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah yesterday – an increase of 69 new cases, the lowest recorded since March 14, totalling 5251 cases, with two new deaths reaching a total death toll of 86 deaths.

Equally significant, yesterday was also the fifth day in a row in which the number of people discharged exceeded the number of new cases, i.e 2,967 recoveries which represented 56.5 per cent of recovery of Covid-19 positive cases.

As compared to Malaysia’s 56.5%, the recovery rate in the United States and the major epicentres in Europe has been much lower – United States (8.4%), Spain (39.7%), Italy (24.8%), France (23.3%), United Kingdom (not available).

It is therefore with shock that when I was following the video meeting of the UK parliamentary Select Committee on Health and Social Care on “Management of the Coronavirus Outbreak” where the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, appeared for a 150-minute Question & Answer Session with members of the Parliamentary Select Committee, that I received an email from the Secretary of the Malaysian Parliament that the normally month-long meeting of Parliament starting on May 18 had been cut down to one day.

According to the parliamentary notice, there would only be the speech by the Yang di Pertuan Agong opening the new Parliamentary session, but debate on the motion of thanks to the Yang di Pertuan Agong for the Royal Address had been postponed to the July meeting of Parliament (July 13 – August 27).

This is most unacceptable as it makes a farce of Parliament.

The decision on the one-day sitting of Parliament on May 18 must be reconsidered by the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as Parliament should not be shunted off, emasculated or marginalised but must play a major role in galvanising national unity and solidarity during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as providing scrutiny to ensure the most effective strategy to overcome the Covid-19 crisis and the best exit plan for the economic recovery of the country.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Saturday, April 18, 2020)

  1. #1 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 18 April 2020 - 10:28 am

    Muhiyiddin plan to open the economy but he says he cannot hold Parliament safely?? Does he have a plan or does he not have a plan??

  2. #2 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 18 April 2020 - 10:29 am

    I say go to Muhiyiddin, he drop UMNO and PAS and stay as PM but next in line is not Azmin and comes from PH..

  3. #3 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 18 April 2020 - 9:21 pm

    Muhiyiddin better start thinking how to get back with PH, he got UMNO chomping at more power and his Minister of Health got more politics in his head than healthcare looks quite normal for his Cabinet

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