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The Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, was remiss in his duties as head of the Executive when he failed to turn up in Parliament in the winding-up of his Ministerial statement yesterday, in particular to explain about the Cabinet meeting on July 21, 2021 which purportedly revoked six Emergency Ordinances but which information was kept from Parliament and the nation for five days.

When the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Parliament) Takiyuddin Hassan made the startling revelation yesterday about the Cabinet meeting on July 21 revoking six Emergency ordinances at the end of Muhyiddin’s Ministerial statement in Parliament, the Prime Minster was seen smiling and nodding his head in agreement while seated in his place.

I had after the Ministerial statement asked the Prime Minister to give a satisfactory explanation why he had misled Parliament and the nation for five days about the revocation of the Emergency Ordinances by the Cabinet on 21st July, as even the Parliament Speaker was not aware of it or this would be the proper explanation by the Speaker for rejecting the motions of DAP MP for Bruas, Ngeh Koo Ham, to annul the Emergency Ordinances as events have overtaken with the revocation of the Emergency Ordinances.

I also said that if the Prime Minister was unable to give any satisfactory explanation, then he should be referred to the Committee of Privileges for misleading Parliament.

But Muhyiddin was not in Parliament to respond to the clarifications sought by Members of Parliament at the winding-up stage and the buck was passed to Finance Minister, Senator Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, who was unable to clarify on behalf of the Prime Minister with regard to the revocation of the six Emergency Ordinances as MPs wanted a clarification from the Prime Minister himself.

The Prime Minister should come to Parliament today to make a Ministerial statement on the effect of the Cabinet meeting on July 21 revoking six Emergency Ordinances, and clarify whether and when the Royal Assent had been given and the necessarily gazette published.

Furthermore, why were Members of Parliament not informed of the revocation when the six Emergency Ordinances were laid before the Dewan Rakyat, which tantamount to a serious breach of parliamentary privilege and warranted the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Takiyuddin Hassan, being referred to the Committee of Privileges.

Or do we have a Prime Minister who is afraid of Parliament – which will be the first time in the history of Malaysia.

I had said that the first sitting of Parliament, which had been illegally and unconstitutionally suspended for six months, had started yesterday as a disaster and ended as a catastrophe.

Muhyiddin’s Ministerial statement on the National Recovery Plan was a disaster because there was no honest attempt to admit that the government had mishandled the Covid-19 pandemic which saw the cumulative total of Covid-19 cases increased by nearly eight times in six months from 135,992 cases on January 11, 2021 when emergency was proclaimed to combat Covid-19 to 1,027,954 cases yesterday and the Covid-19 deaths increased by nearly fifteen times from 551 deaths to 8,201 deaths yesterday.

Muhyiddin’s Ministerial statement was in fact rubbished by both the Health Minister, Adham Baba and the Health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah.

Noor Hisham predicted that Malaysia will reach the peak of Covid-19 transmissions in mid-September with 21,000 Covid-19 cases a day and an expected toll of 17,000 deaths daily by-mid August – based on the projection of an infectious rate (RT) of 1.2.

Adham Baba meanwhile has signed a gazette to extend the Health Ordinance related to movement control to December 31, 2021, a clear indication that the Health Ministry has no confidence that the country can make transition from Phase One to Phase Two anytime soon, although this was supposed to take place under the National Recovery Plan at the end of June – let alone to Phase 4!

Lawyers will have to ascertain whether this extension of the third movement-control order (MCO) to the end of the year, including provisions about penalties in cases of violation, is legal if the Cabinet had revoked six Emergency Ordinances on July 21.

The Prime Minister had to “scrape the bottom of the barrel” to have something nice to say about the government’s war against the Covid-19 pandemic in the past 17 months.

Muhyiddin said Malaysia is one of the fastest countries to vaccinate its people against Covid-19 with vaccine injection capacity having reached more than 500,000 doses a day at present.

The Prime Minister was guilty of fudging the facts.

Yes, the latest data shows that the daily rate of doses of vaccine administered in the United States is 590,639 doses a day – not very far from the claimed daily vaccine injection capacity of more than 500,000 doses in Malaysia.

But this is to ignore the peak vaccination rate of more than 3 million Covid-19 shots per day in the United States in early April and the dramatic decline in daily vaccination rate as people who were most eager to get vaccinated received their shots.

Since Covid-19 vaccine distribution began in the United States on Dec. 14, more than than 342 million doses had been administered, fully vaccinating over 163 million people or 49.1% of the total U.S. population.

United States’ vaccination rollout is slowing down although President Biden has urged Americans to get jabbed and infections are rising across the country. In some states, fewer than half of residents have received their first dose.

But after being one of the world leaders in vaccine uptake until the middle of April, the US vaccination rate has slowed down and US now lags behind UK, Italy, France, Germany, Israel and Canada in terms of doses administered as share of total population – and Malaysia is still a long way behind these countries.

The US still hasn’t reached the target set by President Biden of 4 July for getting 70% of those over 18 vaccinated with at least one shot – currently around 68% of adults have received their first dose.

New infections have more than doubled in the US in the past month – and according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vast majority of new cases and deaths are among the unvaccinated.

In the southern states in America, and in the mountain west states, most of older adults are vaccinated but a lot of the younger ones are not.

This information on the slowing down of the rate of vaccination, together with the latest information that the Delta variant of Covid-19 virus is more transmissible and has pushed up the threshold for herd immunity to as much as 98% of the population to be vaccinated, is something for the authorities to digest.

But we must not proceed on false data, premises and assumptions – which are the fatal mistakes of the National Recovery Plan.

The question is whether the new target of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) for 100 per cent of adults to receive full doses of vaccine by October, compared to the original plan of 80 per cent of adults being fully vaccinated by the first quarter of 2022, is achievable.

In yesterday’s Ministerial statement, the Prime Minister had failed to explain how the National Recovery Plan can be ”whole-of-nation” Plan when it cannot even be a “whole-of-Parliament” Plan!

Malaysia urgently needs a “whole-of-nation” National Recovery Council to plan and execute a new policy and strategy to gain control of the Covid-19 pandemic, based on “Live with Covid” and not “Zero Covid” objective.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Tuesday, 27th July 2021)

Muhyiddin harus membuat kenyataan Menteri di Parlimen hari ini mengenai kesan mesyuarat Kabinet pada 21 Julai yang membatalkan enam Ordinan Darurat

Perdana Menteri, Muhyiddin Yassin, culas dalam menjalankan tanggungjawabnya sebagai ketua Eksekutif apabila beliau gagal hadir di Parlimen semasa penggulungan Kenyataaan Menterinya semalam, khususnya untuk menjelaskan mengenai mesyuarat Kabinet pada 21 Julai 2021 yang kononnya membatalkan enam Ordinan Darurat tetapi disembunyikan daripada pengetahuan Parlimen dan seluruh negara selama lima hari.

Ketika Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Undang-Undang dan Parlimen) Takiyuddin Hassan membuat pendedahan yang mengejutkan semalam mengenai mesyuarat Kabinet pada 21 Julai yang membatalkan enam Ordinan pada akhir pernyataan Menteri oleh Muhyiddin di Parlimen, Perdana Menteri dilihat tersenyum dan mengangguk kepala tanda setuju sambil duduk di tempatnya.

Setelah selesai pernyataan Menteri, saya telah meminta Perdana Menteri memberikan penjelasan yang memuaskan mengapa beliau mengelirukan Dewan dan negara selama lima hari mengenai pembatalan Ordinan Darurat oleh Kabinet pada 21 Julai, sedangkan Speaker Parlimen sendirinya tidak menyedarinya, jika tidak perkara ini pastinya akan menjadi alasan yang tepat oleh Speaker ke atas keputusannya untuk menolak usul Ahli Parlimen DAP Beruas, Ngeh Koo Ham, untuk membatalkan Ordinan Darurat kerana Ordinan Darurat sebenarnya telah terbatal.

Saya juga berkata bahawa jika Perdana Menteri tidak dapat memberikan penjelasan yang memuaskan, maka beliau harus dirujuk kepada Jawatankuasa Hak dan Kebebasan kerana mengelirukan Dewan.

Tetapi Muhyiddin tidak berada di Parlimen untuk memberikan maklum balas terhadap penjelasan yang diminta oleh Ahli Parlimen pada sesi penggulungan dan tugas tersebut diserahkan kepada Menteri Kewangan, Senator Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, yang tidak dapat menjelaskan bagi pihak Perdana Menteri berkenaan pembatalan enam Ordinan Darurat kerana Ahli Parlimen mahu penjelasan daripada Perdana Menteri sendiri.

Perdana Menteri perlu hadir ke Parlimen hari ini untuk membuat Kenyataan Menteri mengenai kesan keputusan mesyuarat Kabinet pada 21 Julai yang membatalkan enam Ordinan Darurat, dan menjelaskan sama ada dan bilakah Perkenan Diraja telah diberikan dan warta diterbitkan.

Selain itu, mengapa Ahli Parlimen tidak diberitahu mengenai pembatalan tersebut ketika enam Ordinan Darurat dibentangkan di Dewan Rakyat, perkara ini merupakan satu pelanggaran hak dan kebebasan Ahli Parlimen yang serius dan sepatutnya Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Takiyuddin Hassan, perlu dirujuk kepada Jawatankuasa Hak dan Kebebasan.

Atau adakah kita mempunyai Perdana Menteri yang takut kepada Parlimen — perkara yang julung kalinya berlaku dalam sejarah Malaysia.

Saya berkata bahawa sidang pertama Parlimen, yang telah ditangguhkan selama enam bulan secara tidak sah dan tidak mengikut perlembagaan, bermula semalam sebagai bencana dan berakhir sebagai malapetaka.

Kenyataan Menteri Muhyiddin mengenai Pelan Pemulihan Negara adalah bencana kerana tidak ada usaha yang jujur untuk mengakui bahawa kerajaan telah gagal menangani wabak Covid-19 yang menyaksikan jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 meningkat hampir lapan kali dalam enam bulan dari 135,992 kes pada 11 Januari 2021 ketika darurat diisytiharkan untuk memerangi Covid-19 kepada 1,027,954 kes semalam dan kematian Covid-19 meningkat hampir lima belas kali ganda dari 551 kematian kepada 8,201 kematian semalam.

Kenyataan Menteri Muhyiddin telah “dibakul sampahkan” oleh Menteri Kesihatan, Adham Baba dan Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan Noor Hisham Abdullah.

Noor Hisham meramalkan bahawa Malaysia akan mencapai puncak jangkitan Covid-19 pada pertengahan September dengan 21,000 kes Covid-19 sehari dan jumlah kematian yang dijangkakan sebanyak 17,000 setiap hari pada pertengahan Ogos – berdasarkan unjuran kadar jangkitan (RT) 1.2.

Sementara itu, Adham Baba telah menandatangani pewartaan untuk melanjutkan Ordinan Kesihatan yang berkaitan dengan kawalan pergerakan hingga 31 Disember 2021, petunjuk yang jelas bahawa Kementerian Kesihatan tidak yakin bahawa negara dapat melakukan peralihan dari Fasa Satu ke Fasa Dua dalam waktu dekat, walaupun ini sepatutnya dilaksanakan di bawah Pelan Pemulihan Negara pada akhir bulan Jun — apatah lagi ke Fasa 4!

Peguam harus memastikan sama ada lanjutan pelaksanaan perintah kawalan pergerakan ketiga (PKP) hingga akhir tahun ini, termasuk peruntukan mengenai hukuman dalam kes pelanggaran SOP, adalah sah jika Kabinet membatalkan enam Ordinan Darurat pada 21 Julai.

Perdana Menteri terpaksa menggunakan segala helah untuk untuk menunjukkan kerajaan yang ditabirnya telah berjaya dalam perang terhadap wabak Covid-19 dalam tempoh 17 bulan lalu.

Muhyiddin berkata Malaysia adalah salah satu negara terpantas dalam memberikan suntikan vaksin kepada rakyatnya bagi menyediakan imunisasi terhadap Covid-19 dengan kapasiti suntikan vaksin yang telah mencapai lebih dari 500,000 dos sehari pada masa ini.

Perdana Menteri bersalah kerana memalsukan fakta.

Benar, data terbaru menunjukkan bahawa kadar dos vaksin harian yang diberikan di Amerika Syarikat adalah 590,639 dos sehari – tidak jauh dari kapasiti suntikan vaksin harian yang didakwa melebihi 500,000 dos di Malaysia.

Pun begitu, kenyataan Muhyiddin itu dibuat tanpa mengambil kira kadar vaksinasi harian tertinggi iaitu lebih dari 3 juta dos vaksin diberikan pada awal April di Amerika Syarikat dan penurunan mendadak dalam kadar vaksinasi harian kerana orang yang paling ingin mendapatkan vaksin telah menerima suntikan vaksin yang diperlukan mereka.

Sejak pemberian vaksin Covid-19 bermula di Amerika Syarikat pada 14 Disember, lebih dari 342 juta dos telah diberikan, 163 juta orang atau 49.1% daripada jumlah keseluruhan penduduk A.S telah dilengkapi dua dos vaksin.

Program vaksinasi Amerika Syarikat semakin perlahan walaupun Presiden Biden telah mendesak rakyatnya untuk mendapatkan suntikan vaksin dan angka jangkitan meningkat di seluruh negara. Di beberapa negeri, kurang dari separuh penduduk telah menerima dos pertama.

Tetapi setelah menjadi salah satu negara pendahulu di dunia dalam pengambilan vaksin sehingga pertengahan April, kadar vaksinasi AS menjadi perlahan dan AS kini ketinggalan di belakang UK, Itali, Perancis, Jerman, Israel dan Kanada dari segi dos yang diberikan sebagai bahagian daripada jumlah penduduk – dan Malaysia masih jauh di belakang negara-negara ini.

AS masih belum mencapai sasaran yang ditetapkan oleh Presiden Biden pada 4 Julai untuk 70% daripada mereka yang berusia lebih dari 18 tahun diberi sekurang-kurangnya satu dos vaksin – pada masa ini sekitar 68% orang dewasa telah menerima dos pertama mereka.

Jangkitan baru meningkat lebih dari dua kali ganda di AS pada bulan lalu – dan menurut Pusat Kawalan dan Pencegahan Penyakit AS, sebilangan besar kes dan kematian baru adalah melibatkan pesakit yang tidak divaksin.

Di negeri-negeri selatan di Amerika, dan di negeri-negeri barat negara itu, kebanyakan orang dewasa yang lebih berusia telah divaksin tetapi sebilangan besar yang lebih muda tidak mengambil suntikan tersebut.

Maklumat mengenai kadar vaksinasi yang semakin perlahan dan maklumat terbaru bahawa virus Covid-19 varian Delta lebih mudah menular dan telah meningkatkan nilai ambang imuniti kelompok kepada 98% populasi yang akan divaksinasi, adalah sesuatu yang perlu dihadam oleh pihak berkuasa.

Pun begitu, kita tidak boleh terus menggunakan data, premis dan anggapan yang salah – yang merupakan kesilapan besar Pelan Pemulihan Negara.

Persoalannya; apakah sasaran baru Program Imunisasi Covid-19 Kebangsaan (NIP) untuk 100 peratus orang dewasa mendapat dos vaksin sepenuhnya pada bulan Oktober, berbanding dengan rancangan asal 80 peratus orang dewasa yang sepenuhnya diberi vaksin pada suku pertama tahun 2022, dapat dicapai.

Dalam pernyataan Menteri semalam, Perdana Menteri gagal menjelaskan bagaimana Pelan Pemulihan Negara dapat menjadi Pelan “keseluruhan negara” sedangkan ia sendiri gagal menjadi Pelan “keseluruhan Parlimen”!

Malaysia sangat memerlukan Majlis Pemulihan Negara yang melibatkan “keseluruhan negara” untuk merancang dan melaksanakan dasar dan strategi baru untuk mengendalikan pandemik Covid-19, berdasarkan objektif “Hidup di samping Covid” dan bukannya “Sifar Covid”.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Parlimen pada hari Selasa, 27 Julai 2021)