This is the hallmark of an incompetent, inefficient and kakistocratic administration.
On Monday on 5th July, 2021, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement saying that the government has agreed to advise the Yang di Pertuan Agong that a special meeting of the Third Session of the 14th Parliament would be held for five days from 26th July to 2nd August for the Dewan Rakyat and three days from 3rd to 5th August 2021 for the Senate.
As the Cabinet on 30th June was postponed because the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, was hospitalised for diarrhoea, the Cabinet on 7th July was expected to formalise decision.
If Cabinet had formalised the decision on 7th July to reconvene Parliament before the emergency ends on August 1, without making alternation as stated in the PMO statement on 5th July, then the notice to MPs about the special Parliamentary meeting should be sent out latest by Thursday on 8th July and MPs receiving it by Friday 9th July.
But no Member of Parliament has received any such parliamentary notice.
It is such incompetence, inefficiency and kakistocracy that has resulted in Malaysia becoming one of the world’s worst performing nations in the Covid-19 pandemic with adverse international surveys, viz:
1. June 2021 Bloomberg Covid Resilience Ranking with Malaysia falling 35 places from its 16th ranking in January 2021 to 51st position in June 2021 edition out of 53 economies of more than US$200 billion;
2. Economist’s global normalcy index which placed Malaysia in the last 50th position out 50 countries; and
3. Nikkei Covid-19 Recovery Index on 7th July which ranks Malaysia No. 114 out of 120 countries on infection management, vaccine rollouts and social mobility.
Malaysia suffers from a political gridlock.
In India, the Indian Prime Minister dropped 12 members of his Cabinet in a dramatic reshuffle over fierce criticism over the government’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic, led by the Ministers for Health and Law.
But in Malaysia, the Cabinet Ministers are “untouchable” as the Prime Minister’s survival depends on them.
The Prime Minister’s priority is his own survival and not the people’s survival.
The Prime Minister cannot sack the Health Minister or he would himself get sacked.
As Brigadier General Dr. Arshil Moideen said yesterday, lack of integrated action and co-ordinated instructions and a lack of speed are among the reasons why the country is unable to beat the Covid-19 pandemic.
Malaysia must get out of this political gridlock if we are to win the war against Covid-19 pandemic.
The gravity of the situation could be gauged from the fact that more and more people in the Klang Valley are asking whether the oxygen crisis during the worst period of the Covid-19 pandemic in India would come to Malaysia.
(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 11th July , 2021)