Few Months Needed To See If Covid 19 Situation Stabilises Says Kj

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Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin is not in favour of holding a general election soon due to concerns over public health.
Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of the Umno annual delegates assembly, Khairy (above) said an election now will complicate the public health situation.
"An election is something we can delay until the public health situation is more stable," he added.
Khairy said the country will see further relaxations of Covid-19 protocols beginning April 1 and thus the priority then will be to observe its effect on public health.
He said European countries which have done the same are now seeing an increase in Covid-19 transmissions.
"(If there is a) growing number of cases tak apa (not a big concern). (We are concerned if) there is a surge in hospitalisation and intensive care bed use.
"We need a few more months to see if the situation stabilises, or not," he added.
Malaysia does not have to hold a parliamentary election until August 2023. However, many Umno leaders want to call for one now to take advantage of the party's momentum.
It’s up to PM
The health minister said he was aware of the sentiments in his party but the ultimate decision lies with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaacob"The prime minister has to take account of (the progress of) national recovery, institutional reform promises made with the opposition and he will also consider the views of the Health Ministry," Khairy added.
There was a surge in Covid-19 cases in late February. As of yesterday, there were 1,436 deaths attributed to Covid-19 reported this month alone - twice the number reported last month.
Earlier today, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, in his policy speech urged Ismail Sabri to dissolve Parliament soon to pave way for a fresh election.
Zahid also criticised the Umno vice-president for signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Pakatan Harapan.
Umno president Ahmad Zahid HamidiPremature to extend MOU
When asked if the agreement should be extended, Khairy said it was imperative for the MOU to be fulfilled first and premature to talk about extending the deal.
"(One issue is) the anti-defection bill. It is being delayed a bit because we want to fix some things in the draft.
"Once it is ready, it will be tabled in Parliament and approved. It is premature to talk about an extension. Let's sort the original agreement first," he added.
DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke had mooted extending the deal to prevent a national election until 2023, in view of the Covid-19 situation. - Mkini

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