WELL-MANAGED MCO WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH, NO NEED TO USURP DEMOCRACY - JANNIE LASIMBANG

14 JAN 2021

By Ruby Koh

KOTA KINABALU: A well-managed movement control order (MCO) to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic would have been enough instead of calling for a state of emergency and endangering democracy, said Kapayan State Assemblyman Jannie Lasimbang.

The declaration was made after Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah assented the government's request for the same as a proactive move to control and flatten daily Covid-19 positive cases that have continuously breached four figures since December.

In her statement today, Jannie stated that many believe the move by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin to seek a declaration of emergency was politically motivated as he lost the majority support of parliamentary members.

"A well-managed MCO to deal with the pandemic would have been enough, and there is no need to usurp democracy.

"With the emergency declaration and suspension of Parliament, Perikatan Nasional now has all the power to do whatever it wants, and has the potential to create multiple crises," she said, adding that Malaysia's stocks and currency reportedly fell immediatelyafter the proclamation.

13,000 food baskets and cash support to 602 micro SMEs operators were given out in Kapayan during MCO 1.0.

Jannie who is also the Sabah DAP Women Chief asserted that the government must be clear and realistic on its goals to have a long term strategy in dealing with the pandemic.

"After the experiences and challenges of the previous MCO, the government should have allowed time to review standard operating procedures (SOP) and give people and businesses enough time to prepare before MCO was announced."

The MCO will indeed create hardship for people, and she said it is the duty of the government to ensure the funds approved by the parliament and the Sabah State Assembly recently to help all affected economically will reach the people in an expedient manner, and is free of corruption and discrimination.

"The funds that were approved should cover food aid and financial support for the rakyat, aside from measures to curb the spread of COVID19 and to treat those infected," she stressed.

She also expressed her gratitude to the Pakatan Harapan government who introduced the MySalam scheme on January 1, 2019.

"A B40 patient who was admitted to the quarantine centre in Pusat Kebudayaan Sabah in Penampang, as well as her family member who was admitted in the hospital, did not have to pay for the treatment as they are eligible for support under the MySalam scheme," she explained.

Jannie also pledged that she will conduct her duty as an opposition lawmaker to closely monitor the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)-government and relevant agencies in ensuring the MCO is well-implemented and that the people are well-informed.