KUALA LUMPUR, May 1 — The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government is disconnected from the everyday realities of ordinary folk, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today.

The PKR president added that the government had failed to address the needs of those who have been most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially when they lost their means to an income during the movement control order (MCO) period that began March 18.

This is despite the announcement of policies to help the working class in anticipation of the new normal, he added.

“To my mind, the support for workers and the general men and women in the public has to be increased.

“I am here in Segambut and I have seen a large disconnect from what our leaders are talking about Mak Cik Kiah and the real man and women on the ground struggling to have enough to eat,” he said in Webinar titled Parliamentary Roundtable #1 — Next Normal for Jobs (Labour Day Special) organised by Institut Darul Ehsan today.

Anwar said the government should find a “humane” solution to the problem.

He added that the PN government’s policies should always put the welfare of the people first and not exacerbate the problems brought about by the “old order” which safeguards the power of the political elite.

“The crux of the issue is the welfare of the ordinary man and woman.

“Economists, ministers and Bank Negara Malaysia failed to take this into account when deciding on policies, whether they would affect the livelihood and welfare of the common rakyat.

“On structural issues, (the government) should seize the opportunity to rebrand and change.

“It is about creative destruction. This is the time to do it. The new normal does not mean you make some minor adjustments but keep the old order in place,” he said, touching on the government’s failure to address key issues such as the six-month moratorium for hire purchase loans and fixed-rate Islamic financing, as well as the Social Security Organisation’s initial move to not recognise Covid-19 as an occupational disease.

Meanwhile, another panellist, former Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) chairman Nungsari Ahmad Radhi said the PN government’s aid programmes do not reach the most vulnerable in society such as B40 informal workers.

He said communities such as those in People’s Housing Projects (PPR) are examples of people who can no longer depend on the economy to provide them with viable work and income.

“A lot of interdependency there in terms of this guy selling something, this fellow buys something... the whole ecosystem is gone because a lot of repatriation of income from outside the PPR is not coming in.

“These are the most vulnerable people and I think we should do more for these people. There are things that the government needs to do.

“They need to keep the people literally alive,” he said.