Caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is a failed Prime Minister who heads a failed government, particularly in its primary duty of managing the economy and containing the rising cost of living. Ismail insists that inflation is under control despite the reality being contrary to the evidence on the ground, facts and figures, including granular economic data that shows that Malaysians and businesses especially SMEs are distressed financially due to rising prices.
Last week Bank Negara dealt a near fatal blow to the government’s economic credibility by justifying the hiking of the Overnight Policy Rate(interest rate) by 0.25% to contain inflation. Even Bank Negara does not believe in Ismail’s political spin that inflation is under control and Bank Negara is expected to further increase interest rates in January next year to keep soaring prices in check.
The cost of Ismail’s failure is individual and business borrowers paying extra for their loans. Ismail does not appear to be embarrassed that Bank Negara has indirectly exposed his and the BN/PN government’s failure to control inflation.
Yesterday Ismail himself admitted his own failure by stating that the Election Commission (EC) has the right to postpone the 15th General Election (GE15) in the event that major floods occur during the campaign period. Has Ismail no sense of shame that he is putting the country and the people through unnecessary suffering and endangering the people’s safety merely, so as to satisfy his party’s greed for political advantage by calling for early general election?
Ismail even said he would convene a meeting soon and make a decision if the situation compelled the EC to halt the November 19 election. Such a postponement of election would be unnecessary if Ismail had listened to PH and his own government agencies. There would be no necessity to waste time, energy and resources on the general election but focus fully on flood crisis management to avoid possible loss of lives and property
Ismail Sabri must explain publicly his refusal to listen to the expert advice by Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) deputy director-general (strategic and technical) Dr Mohd Hashim Mohd Anip that the general election should not be held this year, from the point of view of the disaster management community, because there will be many locations throughout Malaysia that will face flooding. This is the reason for PH’s decision not to dissolve the 3 state assemblies of Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan and hold concurrent elections.
It is not enough for Ismail and UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to bear full responsibility for any loss of lives and property for failing in their primary duty to focus solely on flood disaster management. The people must punish and reject both BN and PN on 19 November for being a failed Prime Minister and government.