By Prof P Ramasamy
AN illegal backdoor government is a desperate one. Its ministers are at best inefficient and at worst are bunch of clowns.
The COVID-19 pandemic despite its hardship and misery on Malaysians, it has succeeded in exposing the hollowness of the Government in power.
There are many instances of ministers rendering themselves as totally inept in not only managing the crises but simply lacking the understanding and insight to articulate on matters relating to the pandemic.
Much earlier we had a minister who confidently stated that the COVID-19 virus could be washed down and eliminated by drinking warm water.
There are many other examples of ministers and senior officials who have erred or embarrassed themselves about the Government’s efforts in managing the pandemic.
Not to be undone, the Minister of Federal Territories Tan Sri Annuar Musa has come to fore to give commentary about the pandemic situation in the country.
In a forum organised by the Harakah Daily, a PAS linked publication, Annuar said that pandemic seems not as bad as it has been projected.
Since ordinary Malaysians are acting as though no pandemic exists, then the Government must have done a good job in controlling its spread.
He continued by saying that people are not scared, not willing to follow the rules and even not thinking of protecting themselves.
These signs indicate that the Government had done a good job to the extent people are not willing to be restricted.
In comparison, he said that Malaysia had done a better job in controlling the pandemic even in comparison to countries like the UK and the USA, countries that are technologically advanced.
I am not sure where Annuar obtained his figures from and was bold enough to say that an average of one million Malaysians were getting vaccinated daily.
There are hardly any differences between the various ministers in the cabinet of Prime Minister Tan Sri Mahiaddin Yassin, the chief architect of the “Sheraton Move”.
What Annuar said was not only preposterous but a downright insult to Malaysians, who are trying their level best to contain the pandemic.
Annuar’s broad and simplistic sweep ignores the extreme difficulties faced by ordinary Malaysians, in fighting the pandemic.
It makes a mockery of the sacrifices, the deaths, the sufferings, the job losses and the effects on families.
When there are people being hospitalised and those facing the imminence of death in hospitals, how could a responsible minister say that people are not scared of the pandemic.
The present situation is one of life and death, but Annuar thinks and acts as though people in the country do not care of the pandemic.
I don’t think the Government is doing a good job, by any stretch of imagination. It’s not rocket science to conclude that.
Is it a bluff by Annuar that an average of one million people are getting vaccinated daily? Where did he get this figure?
If this is the case, Malaysians do not have to wait until October to reach a herd immunity with 80% of the population vaccinated.
Blindly supporting the Government is one thing, but giving wrong and unimaginable figures is another. Annuar should not compare apples with oranges, but apples to apples.
In this respect, Malaysia is no way comparable to the advanced countries in managing and controlling the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Malaysia, the supply is active, far short of the demand. This is not the case with UK or USA.
There is nothing to be proud of the performance of the ministers under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) Government. They have failed and continue to fail.
However, the miserable performance of the ministers should not be used to make Malaysians as the sacrificial lambs. – June 25, 2021
Prof P Ramasamy is the DAP Penang deputy chief minister.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Photo credit: NST
