PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin says the emergency and suspension of Parliament is for the sake of addressing the Covid-19 situation, stressing that he does understand the meaning of democracy.
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“Not one (emergency) ordinance enables the prime minister to remain in power forever,” he said in a speech in conjunction with his Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration’s one-year anniversary.
“In fact, the date for this emergency to end has been set for Aug 1. This is the first time in the history of our country that a date has been set for an emergency to end,” he said, adding that a special committee, which also includes opposition MPs, will recommend to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong if this date should be brought forward or extended.
Muhyiddin said he respects democracy and the Federal Constitution, and that he will seek the dissolution of Parliament to pave the way for a fresh general election (GE15) once the Covid-19 situation is addressed.
“The main focus of this government now is to steer this country clear of the double impact from the health and economic crises,” he said in a speech held in Putrajaya.
“When the election is held, of course, we will leave it to the people to decide whether the Perikatan Nasional government should be re-elected or otherwise. You are free to choose and that is what democracy is all about.”
In his speech, Muhyiddin paid special tribute to frontliners in the war against Covid-19 and gave his assurance that his government remains committed to the welfare of the people.
Muhyiddin also spoke on the challenges of the past year and the measures taken by the government to balance lives and livelihoods.
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He said the current Covid-19 and economic situations are improving.
“Our public health system is getting more effective in treating Covid-19. Our fatality rate is among the lowest in the world, under 0.4% and some 90% of infected have recovered.
“God willing, with adherence to SOPs and the vaccination programme, we can flatten the curve in the next few months.”
Muhyiddin also outlined four measures his government will take in the year to come to address the health and economic challenges.
“Firstly, we will continue to provide targetted aid to those in need, especially the poor and people who have lost their income.”
The second measure is to increase support for businesses, particularly those which still cannot operate or are in the process of reopening.
“We will also focus on the delivery of public services, especially in ensuring aid reaches those in need, speeding up development projects and reducing bureaucracy to stimulate economic activities across all levels and encourage new investments from abroad and within the country.”
The last measure is an emphasis on digitalisation which provides access to new wealth and is in line with the country’s transformation agenda rooted in knowledge and innovation.- FMT