KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim insisted today that his meeting with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin two days ago was not an endorsement of the latter as the prime minister or his Perikatan Nasional administration.
In a Facebook Live video today, the Port Dickson lawmaker said the meeting was necessary for him to seek an emergency Parliamentary sitting to address the Covid-19 pandemic and the government’s stimulus package.
“I will not entertain any criticisms that I have recognised the current government. I didn’t see the prime minister to form a coalition, a backdoor government, for betrayal… no.
“I was very clear and transparent — before, during and after the meeting — and I already explained everything to the Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council. The meeting is for the people, the country and national security and this is beyond politics.
“We had a good meeting, both of us are old friends but our (PH’s) stance on Covid-19 and an emergency Parliamentary meeting is clear and I remained firm on that,” explained Anwar.
The Opposition party leader said his main concerns regarding the stimulus package was possible abuse by unscrupulous parties who might take advantage of the distracted government.
He also pointed out that the government has abandoned open tenders in its rush to obtain as many resources as possible to combat the pandemic, which could open the door to leakages.
“Because the government must take immediate steps to ensure our ministries have enough equipment, their new procurements are being done without calling for an open tender. This is a concern because these companies can simply charge a high price.
“Shamsul Iskandar (Bukit Katil MP) and Fahmi Fadzil (Lembah Pantai MP) had experience with food that was being distributed. The price was RM100 but when they checked, they found out that the cost was only RM85 — due to delivery charges.
“If I purchased those items and distributed it without cost, there would be no extra charges. The Malays have a saying: Membina mahligai di atas pusara (building a palace on someone’s grave). These companies are taking advantage of the people’s misery to make a profit,” said Anwar.
He also made an “interesting” note that the contractors the government has called were all major corporations, with smaller enterprises sidelined.
Although he acknowledged the difficulties in convening Parliament during an ongoing outbreak, he said there were still avenues to made it possible.
He pointed out that some legislatures have modified their rules to allow for proceedings to continue despite the obstacles created by the Covid-19 pandemic and measures to contain it.
“In a session, is it required for all MPs to attend? Perhaps in this situation, only around three MPs per party can attend to debate and represent their party. Or perhaps more allocation can be given to parties with more MPs.
“Canada, for instance, had a limited meeting on Covid-19. We should not use Covid-19 as an excuse not to call for a session. That’s the easy way out when there is another rational solution. We can also amend the Standing Orders through video conferencing, Zoom (application) and other methods,” he said.
