We Need To Save Lives And Livelihoods Says Guan Eng

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DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said setting aside political interests to adopt a bipartisan approach was not easy, but it  was necessary for the future of the younger generation.PETALING JAYA: There is an urgent need for political parties to find common ground to save lives and preserve quickly eroding livelihoods, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said today.
“The people’s suffering must take priority,” the Bagan MP said in a statement today in response to reforms offered by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
“Setting aside political interests to adopt a bipartisan approach is not easy. But we should be bold to try to save not only our young but also the future of our young.”
Earlier in the week, Ismail had proposed a number of institutional reforms, including setting a 10-year term limit to the prime minister’s tenure, tabling an anti-party hopping bill, and swiftly implementing the lowering of the voting age to 18.
“Despite deep distrust towards whether such promises of reforms will be delivered, Ismail’s proposals of reforms should be given consideration provided they possess a set timeline for their execution and are accompanied by reforms in the economy and public healthcare.”
Lim said this should not just be limited to a RM45 billion Economic Turnaround Plan, waiver of interest during the bank loan moratorium period and a National Covid-19 Reset Plan which the opposition had called for previously.
In addition, he said that there must be a “whole-of-society” approach to reforming politics, the economy and healthcare that involves a united goal and engages with members of civil society.
Lim’s comments come a day after the Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council, of which he is a member, agreed in principle to a memorandum of understanding with the government in support of the proposed reforms offered by Ismail.
The council is expected to meet again later today to discuss the proposals further, according to PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil.
Meanwhile, Lim said DAP welcomed the move by health minister Khairy Jamaluddin to appoint Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim as the Covid-19 coordinator between Penang and the federal government.
He said this was necessary to find a joint collaborative effort to arrest the rise in infections that caused Penang to record among the highest infections, deaths, and usage of intensive care unit beds and ventilators in the country.
“For too long, Penang has failed to contend with or match up to the rise in infections and deaths.
“Despite the frontliners doing a magnificent job, they have been unable to cope with the mounting public anger due to insufficient resources and manpower.
“Public dissatisfaction has also spilled over unfairly against the Penang state government for being a helpless bystander when Penangites are suffering and dying without getting any help from the relevant authorities despite reaching out to them,” Lim said. - FMT

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