COVID-19

Government should adopt an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach in the invisible war against Covid-19 pandemic with Parliament and administration of justice regarded as “essential services”

By Kit

May 02, 2020

Kerajaan harus mengguna pakai pendekatan melibatkan “keseluruhan kerajaan” dan “keseluruhan masyarakat” dalam perjuangan melawan wabak Covid-19 dengan Parlimen dan penyampaian keadilan dikira sebagai “perkhidmatan penting negara”

Satu soalan yang berlegar di fikiran ramai orang semalam selepas pengumuman daripada Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin berkenaan dengan perintah kawalan pergerakan bersyarat (PKPB) dan pelonggaran kawalan pergerakan bermula Isnin ini adalah kerajaan masih lagi belum mengambil pendekatan melibatkan “keseluruhan kerajaan” dan “keseluruhan masyarakat” untuk memastikan kejayaan melawan wabak Covid-19 ini.

Kerana inilah Parlimen dan penyampaian keadilan perlu diumumkan sebagai “perkhidmatan penting negara” sebelum hari Isnin dan kerajaan harus memanggil sidang penuh Parlimen dan bukannya persidangan sehari yang tidak masuk akal pada 18 Mei.

Pada persidangan sehari 18 Mei ini, urusan mesyuarat Parlimen hanyalah merangkumi penyampaian Titah Diraja oleh Yang di Pertuan Agong dan bacaan pertama rang undang-undang kerajaan.

Perbahasan menjunjung Titah Diraja dan rang undang-undang kerajaan yang dibentangkan pada 18 Mei ini telah ditolak ke persidangan Julai Parlimen yang dijangkakan berlangsung selama 25 hari daripada 18 Julai sehingga 27 Ogos.

Jika persidangan sehari ini diadakan, maka Parlimen akan mencipta satu sejarah baharu di mana ahli parlimen perlu hadir namun tidak dibenarkan untuk berbahas, di mana mereka dijangka untuk berdiam diri seperti orang bodoh!

Dalam persidangan Julai Parlimen, tradisi perbahasan menjunjung Titah Diraja yang kebiasaannya berjalan selama 12 hari telah dipendekkan ke lapan hari, di mana tempoh perbahasan 8 hari telah dipendekkan kepada hanya empat hari, disusuli dengan empat hari jawapan daripada menteri.

Perkara ini adalah merepek dan tidak boleh diterima. Sepatutnya waktu jawapan menteri selama empat hari itu yang dipendekkan dan bukannya waktu perbahasan oleh ahli parlimen.

Perdana Menteri harus mengembalikan persidangan penuh pada 18 Mei, di mana ahli parlimen akan berpeluang untuk menyampaikan pendapat dan aduan rakyat, terutamanya ketika PKP semasa Parlimen bersidang.

Sementara itu, persiapan haruslah dijalankan supaya persidangan Parlimen dan Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas secara maya boleh diadakan apabila Parlimen bersidang pada 18 Mei.

Wabak Covid-19 kini dianggap jauh lebih merbahaya daripada sebarang wabak-wabak lain dalam sejarah terdekat. Ramai yang percaya yang wabak ini telah mengorbankan jauh lebih banyak nyawa berbanding dengan angka rasmi.

Di peringkat global, jumlah jangkitan Covid-19 telah mencecah 3.4 juta manakala jumlah kematian kini menghampiri 240,000.

Kita perlu memastikan yang kawalan pergerakan Covid-19 tidak memusnahkan ekonomi negara dan perkara ini memerlukan pendekatan yang melibatkan “keseluruhan kerajaan” dan “keseluruhan masyarakat” untuk meraih sokongan, solidariti, dan perpaduan terhadap sebarang tindakan kerajaan dalam melawan wabak ini.

(Kenyataan Media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada hari Sabtu 2 Mei 2020)

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One question uppermost in everyone’s mind after the announcement by the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday on the conditional movement control order (CMCO) and the easing of restrictions beginning on Monday is that the government has yet to adopt an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach if the invisible war against the Covid-19 pandemic is going to be successful in Malaysia.

This is why Parliament and the administration of justice should be declared “essential services” before Monday in the Covid-19 pandemic, and the government should allow a full-meeting of Parliament instead of a ridiculous one-day sitting on May 18.

At the one-day sitting of Parliament on 18th May, there will only be the delivery of the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s royal address and the presentation of government bills for first reading.

Debates for the traditional motion of thanks and on the government bills presented on May 18 have been pushed off to the July meeting of Parliament scheduled for 25 days from July 13 – August 27, 2020.

If the one-day sitting of Parliament is held, then Malaysian MPs will be creating world parliamentary history as the first Parliament where MPs meet but cannot speak, as they are expected only to be dumb!

In the July meeting of Parliament, the traditional 12-day debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address has be slashed to eight days, with the eight-day debate by MPs halved to four days, followed by four-day replies by Ministers.

This is most ridiculous and unacceptable. It is the four-day replies from Ministers which should be slashed instead of the eight days of debate from the backbenchers.

The Prime Minister should restore the full meeting of Parliament from May 18, where MPs have the opportunity to articulate the views and grievances of the people, especially during the MCO when Parliament meets.

In the meantime, preparations should be made so that virtual proceedings of Parliament and Parliamentary Select Committees could be held when Parliament reconvenes on May 18.

The Covid-19 pandemic is now widely considered more threatening than any other recent viral epidemic. Most believe that many more have been infected or even died than officially confirmed.

Globally, the number of Covid-19 infections have nearly reached 3.4 million while the global death toll is near 240,000.

We must ensure that the Covid-19 lockdown is not also an economic knockout for Malaysia.

This necessitates an “all-of government” and “whole-of-society” approach, to rally support, solidarity and unity for the actions by the government in the invisible war against the coronavirus.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Saturday May 2, 2020)