The government’s management of the latest COVID-19 variant, Omicron, has so far been marked by failure, gross dereliction of duty and consumed by political self-interest to bring maximum electoral benefit in the coming Johor state elections. Can the government be regarded as serious in reining in the Omicron wave of infections which rose to 19,090 on 10 February, when the Special Committee on the Management of the COVID-19 pandemic chaired by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has not met since 5 November 2021? When is the next meeting?
Instead of being fully and single-mindedly devoted to overcoming the latest wave of infections that has now reached a total of nearly 3 million cases, there have been no meetings of the top panel on COVID-19 management for the last 3 months, in the midst of the latest crisis. With more than 32,075 COVID-19 deaths, Malaysia has the highest number of deaths per capita in the Asean and East Asian regions with 969 deaths per one million population.
Clearly the failure to even meet and make decisions to mitigate the latest Omicron wave, is another failure and gross dereliction of duty by the Ismail Sabri administration, similar to his predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin. Meetings of this Special Committee are supposed to be held weekly. Since I was appointed as a member of this Special Committee in early October, there have been only 3 meetings on 15 October 2021, 22 October 2021 and 5 November 2021. Are the government Ministers sleeping on the job when decisive leadership is required at this moment of urgency?
The Prime Minister had previously agreed with PH leaders that there should be no more serial total lockdowns which had failed comprehensively to check the COVID-19 pandemic and instead cost more than RM500 billion in economic losses and led to an economic recession. Another total lockdown would be disastrous and cost both loss of lives and livelihoods.
Stop Politicising The COVID-19 Pandemic For Maximum Electoral Benefit In the Johor State Elections.
Despite the latest wave, the government is insisting that the Johor state elections will proceed and not be postponed as well as proposing to reopen our country’s borders on 1 March 2022. This is no different from what is practiced in Western countries due in part to the low deaths inflicted by Omicron. If that is so. then there is no reason not to allow a full campaigning including ceramahs or public rallies for the Johor state elections.
If the government decides that the latest Omicron wave is a real and present danger, then the Johor state elections should be postponed and enhanced COVID-19 SOPs imposed. The government cannot have it both ways, by allowing the Johor state elections to proceed and yet impose enhanced SOPs and banning ceramahs. Restricting campaigning and banning ceramahs will allow the ruling parties an unfair advantage by possessing sole media and physical access to voters.
This will clearly demonstrate that the government is politicising the COVID-19 pandemic for selfish interests. The flip-flops, policy U-turns and indecisiveness will only add on to the utter confusion and uncertainty that will harm investor confidence and public credibility of the government’s efforts.