The question uppermost in most minds is why the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyddin Yassin, had not presented the Penjana economic stimulus package in the war against Covid-19 to Parliament for approval?
Is he afraid that the Penjana economic stimulus package would be rejected by Parliament if it is presented to Parliament for approval?
Muhyiddin has again made infamous parliamentary history in the lockdown of Parliament instead of presenting the Penjana economic stimulus package to Parliament for oversight, scrutiny, debate and approval.
The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has criticised the Penjana economic stimulus package as a short-term economic recovery plan “laden with goodies for the business community but failed to live up to promises on protecting workers”.
The MTUC secretary-general J Solomon that that the MTUC feared that similar to the previous Prihatin stimulus packages, Penjana will fail to live up to its lofty promises on ensuring workers are protected, especially the thousands who have been laid off despite employers benefiting from massive government assistance in interest-free loans, outright grants and wage subsidies.
The best venue for the legitimate concerns from the various sectors of society about the government’s economic stimulus packages to be aired and addressed is Parliament, and the continued lockdown of Parliament is not only a continued denial of Members of Parliament from playing their constitutional role of parliamentary oversight and scrutiny of the Executive to ensure a high quality of governance, but a closure of avenues for the citizenry to have their grievances heard and resolved.
The Covid-19 pandemic is now a global workbook of how countries all over the world are coping with the unprecedented challenges of containing the coronavirus and ensuring the quickest recovery of the national economic and social life, and Malaysia stands out as the only country where Parliament is being locked down and not allowed to play its role.
Can Muhyiddin give a single reason for this unparliamentary conduct and undemocratic practice?
(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Saturday, June 6, 2020)