FORMER Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak criticised the Government for providing exemptions for many economic sectors during the total lockdown, particularly those in the electric and electrical (E&E) goods.
“Why can’t you have some guts just for 14 days? Too many factories given exemptions during the lockdown.
“The E&E factories, which employs about 600,000 workers, are allowed to operate. If you allow them to continue, other direct and indirect suppliers such as transportation providers and ports will also have to be allowed to operate on grounds to ‘preserve global economic supply chain’.
“But who is going to preserve national interest and the people’s economic interest who are calling for a total lockdown to flatten the COVID-19 curve, which is at a critical level now?
“And where is the fairness in closing down shops owned by petty traders while big corporations owned by tycoons continue to make money during this tough time?” he asked in a Facebook post.
Yesterday, Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that all economic and social sectors, apart from essential services, will be disallowed from operating beginning June 1.
Be fair to all
“The list includes office areas, retail outlets, factories and shopping malls. As for malls, only businesses listed as essential service providers will be allowed to continue as usual at the premises.
“The measure is expected to reduce the number of those working actively from 15 million to 1.5 million,” the Bera MP was reported saying.
Among the sectors allowed to operate as usual are E&E, oil and gas, chemical products, machinery and equipment and textiles (to manufacture personal protective equipment).
Unimpressed with the list, Najib said that everyone has to make sacrifices during a crisis to help the nation, with no exception given to anyone.
He added that multinational companies (MNC) and other big corporations would not fold or move to another country just because they are not allowed to operate for the next two weeks.
“As for the other sectors, please monitor whether the products and services they provide are really in short supply.
“If we have enough supply, close the sector. It’s just for 14 days,” the Pekan MP stressed. – May 31, 2021
