KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — DAP MP Lim Kit Siang has today questioned the contrasting approach between Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Health Ministry, ahead of the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri season.
The Iskandar Puteri MP said there must be a review of the whole Covid-19 strategy and in particular to accelerate and complete Covid-19 national vaccination campaign so that there can be normality and economic recovery in the last quarter of the year.
“Why is there still such conflicting communication and messaging about the Covid-19 pandemic — demonstrating a kakistocracy at work?” Lim asked in a statement.
“In fact, it is classic example that after more than a year after the Covid-19 pandemic and having one of the longest Covid-19 waves in the world, Malaysia still does not have a ‘all-of-government’ and ‘whole-of-society’ strategy and approach to the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.
“When will Malaysia be able to bring the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic under control, with daily increases of new Covid-19 cases reduced to triple-digit and then double-digit figures?” he added.
Earlier today, Muhyiddin was quoted saying the government will study thoroughly whether interstate travel and visits can be allowed in conjunction with Aidilfitri, which falls in May.
At the same time, he hinted at the possibility of allowing the Aidilfitri prayer, as well as the “takbir raya” and Raya visiting to nearby houses since permission had been given for mosques to hold the tarawih prayers during this coming Ramadan.
Yesterday, health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah exhorted the public for “strong social responsibility” in order to flatten the Covid-19 curve, as its infectivity rate has risen slowly in the past three days.
This comes as on Thursday, the country’s Covid-19 effective reproduction number (Rt) peaked at 1.0 after steadily climbing up from 0.94 on Monday, with Labuan, Pahang and Putrajaya topping the list in the country.
Previously, the Rt had stayed flat at 0.94 between March 20 and 22.
The Rt had never reached 1.0 in the last month, with the highest value of 0.99 occurring on February 24, and a month later at March 24.
