A health related non-governmental organisation (NGO) has warned against calling for general election during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that politicians fall under the high-risk category as well.
Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy said that the current median age of MPs is at 55.5 years, with both incumbents and aspiring politicians eager to run in the next polls are likely to be around that age or in their 60s.
“Many will have at least one or two non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease, as well as being either overweight or obese.
“In a nutshell, many of these politicians fall in the high-risk and vulnerable groups of people who are likely to contract COVID-19 and experience serious complications as a result of an infection,” said its CEO Azrul Mohd Khalib, in a statement.
Lately, many politicians especially from Umno, have called for the fragile Perikatan Nasional Government to dissolve the Parliament and make way for a general election.
Barisan Nasional secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan is one the proponents for snap polls, saying only people with a PhD would understand the need for it.
However, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin shot back saying that it was highly irresponsible to call for an election during a deadly pandemic.
The Rembau MP also called Ahmad Maslan and his ilk of having an IQ of “goreng pisang” (banana fritters).
Lesson from the Sabah state election
On that note, Azrul reminded politicians to learn their lesson from the Sabah state election last year, where COVID-19 cases spiked exponentially after the snap polls was called due to a political crisis.
“The consequences from last year’s Sabah state elections are abundantly clear. We have to acknowledge the fact that Malaysia is unable to organise large-scale elections, which would enable voters to safely participate in campaign activities and cast their votes during a pandemic.”
“Months after the election, we are still dealing with its ramifications, with thousands of people infected, widespread community infections with hundreds of unlinked cases in locations far from medical facilities, and a state healthcare infrastructure struggling to trace, isolate and care for those infected,” he said.
Azrul added while many have estimated that a general election would cost RM1.2 bil, the cost may become higher after the polls, as many would have contracted COVID-19 by then.
“The possible economic cost due to lockdowns imposed to contain resulting explosions of infections, the crippling of businesses and households, the hundreds of thousands who will need to be isolated and quarantined, the thousands who will fall sick with serious illnesses and the hundreds who will die.
“All in all, the actual price tag will be much higher. There will be a massive surge beyond anything that we have seen before,” he remarked.
Alternatively, Azrul urged MPs to settle their differences at the Dewan Rakyat by calling for a special sitting to decide on who commands the majority support to form the next Government.
“Let the people’s elected representatives decide among themselves in a location which can be sanitised, the threat of infection managed and controlled, with the number of people involved kept low.
“From a public health perspective, in Parliament, the danger of an outbreak can be realistically managed.”
“There is no need to put the wider public at risk, through campaigns, lectures and physical voting. We are amidst an unprecedented epidemic, a public health emergency. We should not treat this as business as usual,” Azrul added. – Jan 11, 2021.
