Parliament Speaker Should Realise That Science And Data As Well As Facts And Figures Prove That Suspending Parliament Has Nothing To Do With Winning The Battle Against COVID-19.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun has attacked critics of the ongoing Emergency as selective in their defence of the Federal Constitution to gain political mileage, following Deputy Speaker Azalina Othman breaking of government ranks to demand that Parliament meetings be allowed to reconvene.
Azhar justified the suspension of Parliament by the Executive as constitutional and legitimate, contradicting his previous videos under Art Harun where he stressed repeatedly that Parliament is supreme.
For a Parliament Speaker to justify the derogation or diminution of powers of Parliament in deference to the Executive, is not just irresponsible and an abdication of powers but also an act of constitutional treachery. This defence of the current PN government is nothing more nothing less opportunistic political posturing, conflicting and irreconcilable to his role as Speaker of Parliament to uphold, protect and defend the supremacy of Parliament.
Further, Azhar completely ignores the public statement issued by the King after Azhar was granted an audience with the King, where the King stated that the Emergency does not prevent Parliament from sitting to conduct normal parliamentary business.
Azhar also ignores that facts and figures as well as science and data, does not support the premise that an Emergency Proclamation and suspension of Parliament helps the country battle and overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.
When the Emergency was declared on 12 January, there were 3,309 daily infections and a cumulative 141,533 cases, 4 daily deaths and a cumulative death toll of 559.
On 3 June, there were 8,209 daily infections with a cumulative 595,374 cases, 103 daily deaths and a cumulative death toll of 3,096. Nearly 5 months after the Emergency was declared on 12 January, the death toll has gone up more than 5 times whilst infections have gone up by more than four times, demolishing completely the fallacious claim that suspending Parliament can help to contain COVID-19.
Finding Answers In Parliament To Ramp Up The Vaccination Process To Save And Protect The Health And Lives Of Malaysians.
The PN whole-of-government’s failure to manage COVID-19 is not limited to double-standards in enforcing MCO restrictions between VIPs and the ordinary rakyat nor on PN’s serial policy flip-flops and COVID-19 SOP U-turns. The slow vaccination rate and delayed delivery of vaccines despite appropriating RM 5 billion from the National Trust Fund without Parliamentary approval, has further deepened the trust deficit between the public and the PN government.
Vaccination is the only solution, and a swift and smooth vaccination process is necessary to help us achieve herd immunity of 80% that can save and protect the health and lives of Malaysians.
Lim Guan Eng
DAP Secretary-General
