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The new Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri made his maiden telecast yesterday calling on all Malaysians to unite as one “Malaysian family”.

But as the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Can the new Prime Minister create the conditions to develop a national consensus on the challenges facing Malaysia in the next 12 – 18 months to the 15th General Election?

Firstly, we must win the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Although the daily new cases yesterday was below 20,000 cases – 19,807 cases – and 232 Covid-19 deaths, they were still on a scale which would be unimaginable when emergency was declared on January 11, 2021 to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, when we had 2,232 daily new Covid-19 cases and four daily new Covid-19 deaths, with a cumulative total of 138,224 cases and 555 Covid-19 deaths.

Now, we have a cumulative total of 1,555,093 cases and 14,168 Covid-19 deaths, set to mark the 64th National Day in eight days’ time on August 31 with three dubious records: (i) nearly 16,000 Covid-19 deaths; (ii) over 1.7 million Covid-19 cases; and (iii) overtaking yet another country – the Czech Republic – to be ranked No. 23 among nations with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases when we were ranked No. 89 when we marked our 63rd National Day 12 months ago.

Can the new Prime Minister ensure that there is a new policy in the war against Covid-19 pandemic and a “whole-of-society” strategy and approach?

It is unimaginable that there could be a new policy and “whole-of-society” strategy and approach in the war against Covid-19 pandemic unless there are also far-reaching parliamentary and institutional reforms and policy changes.

The political crisis facing the country can only be resolved by all parties returning to the bedrock principles of nation-building laid down by the Malaysian Constitution and Rukun Negara – constitutional monarchy based on parliamentary democracy, the doctrine of separation of powers, the rule of law, upholding good governance and human rights.

We must return to normality before we can embark on the next stage of national endeavour – to fulfil Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman’s aspiration to be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.

But before we can “a beacon of light” to the world, we must achieve the status of a world-class great nation and not be in the trajectory of a failed state.

Can the new Prime Minister build such a consensus and restore hope and confidence among Malaysians about the future of Malaysia?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, August 23, 2021)

Mampukah Perdana Menteri yang baharu mewujudkan ruang untuk konsensus nasional mengenai cabaran yang dihadapi Malaysia dalam tempoh 12 – 18 bulan akan datang sebelum Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15?

Perdana Menteri baharu, Ismail Sabri dalam siaran langsung televisyen semalam menyeru agar semua rakyat Malaysia bersatu sebagai sebuah “Keluarga Malaysia”

Namun, seperti kata pepatah inggeris, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Mampukah Perdana Menteri baharu mewujudkan ruang untuk mengembangkan konsensus nasional mengenai cabaran yang dihadapi Malaysia dalam tempoh 12 – 18 bulan akan datang menjelang Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15?

Pertama, kita harus menang perang melawan pandemik Covid-19.

Meskipun kes harian baharu semalam direkodkan di bawah paras 20,000 — 19,807 kes – dengan 232 kematian, angka itu tetap dilihat tidak masuk akal memandangkan ketika darurat diisytiharkan pada 11 Januari 2021 dengan alasan untuk melawan wabak Covid-19, kita merekodkan 2,232 kes baharu dan empat kes kematian baharu akibat wabak itu, dengan jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 sebanyak 138,224 dan kes kematian terkumpul sebanyak 555.

Kini, kita mempunyai jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 sebanyak 1,555,093 dan 14,186 kes kematian terkumpul. Kita bakal mencipta tiga rekod buruk menjelang Hari Kebangsaan ke-64 yang akan tiba lapan hari lagi pada 31 Ogos: (i) 16,000 kes kematian keseluruhan; (ii) lebih 1.7 juta kes Covid-19; dan (iii) memintas Republik Czech untuk berada di kedudukan ke-23 antara negara-negara dengan jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 tertinggi sedangkan kita berada di kedudukan ke-89 semasa kita menyambut Hari Kebangsaan ke-63 pada 12 bulan yang lalu.

Mampukah Perdana Menteri baharu memastikan terdapat dasar baharu dalam perang melawan pandemik Covid-19 dan pendekatan dan strategi “keseluruhan masyarakat”?

Agak mustahil dasar baharu dan pendekatan serta strategi “keseluruhan masyarakat” dalam perang melawan wabak Covid-19 dapat dilaksanakan jika reformasi institusi dan Parlimen serta perubahan dasar tidak turut dilaksanakan.

Krisis politik yang membelenggu negara hanya boleh diselesaikan dengan semua pihak kembali berpegang kepada prinsip asas pembinaan negara seperti yang termaktub dalam Perlembagaan Malaysia dan Rukun Negara, raja berperlembagaan berdasarkan demokrasi berparlimen, doktrin pemisahan kuasa, kedaulatan undang-undang, tadbir urus yang baik dan melindungi hak asasi manusia.

Kita harus kembali ke keadaan normal sebelum kita dapat bergerak ke peringkat seterusnya dalam usaha pembinaan negara — memenuhi aspirasi Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman untuk negara ini menjadi “sinar cahaya dalam dunia yang kelam dan terganggu”.

Namun, sebelum kita boleh menjadi “sinar cahaya” kepada dunia, kita harus mencapai status negara hebat berkelas dunia dan tidak berada dalam trajektori negara gagal.

Mampukah Perdana Menteri baharu membina konsensus seumpama itu dan mengembalikan keyakinan dan harapan di kalangan rakyat Malaysia terhadap masa depan negara ini?

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Isnin, 23 Ogos 2021)