Anwar: Sabah in dire need of aid as Covid-19 continues to spread

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — Sabah is in desperate need of strong political support as more than 50 per cent of cases are being reported in the state daily, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.

In a statement, Anwar called for stronger political will, better financial aid and food distribution as well as total transparency from the Ministry of Health (MOH) with regards to the spread of the virus and the effectiveness of the contingency plans.

“Firstly, Sabah’s healthcare system, which is already under-funded, under-staffed, and under resourced is now inundated and overwhelmed by the epidemic.

“MOH has been diverting resources to Sabah but the ministry cannot do this alone. This effort needs political support from strong leadership and the involvement of NADMA (National Disaster Management Agency) and other ministries to mobilise adequate medical teams and equipment, improve logistics and provide wider reach of aid,” said Anwar.

Anwar pointed out that experts are predicting cases to increase as more testing is being done in Sabah and as such the information gathered by MOH must provide full disclosure to the public of its strategy to contain the spread of Covid-19 in Sabah.

Besides that, Anwar reiterated his previous call for the government to extend the loan moratorium for another six months and reminded them not to forget the minority groups who will need extra help now since Sabah is under the controlled movement control order (CMCO).

“Given that much of Sabah is under CMCO and millions of Sabahans are unable to resume regular work and school, I call upon the government to assess the need for special emergency financial aid and food assistance to affected areas to ensure marginalized communities have the basic means to survive the current crisis,” the statement continued.

Sabah, Selangor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur will be placed under the CMCO from October 14 to October 26 as a means to help break the chain of Covid-19 infections.

Malaysia saw another 865 new cases today, and three deaths all in Sabah.

Sabah again recorded the highest number of cases, at 643 cases followed by Selangor at 101 cases and Labuan with 34 cases.