Parliament members attend the Parliament session. – Bernama file photo
KUCHING (June 17): Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leaders welcome the announcement by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that the Parliament can only reconvene in the third phase of the National Recovery Plan.
GPS and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) secretary general Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the Prime Minister has best intentions for the country by focusing on efforts to bring down Covid-19 cases and ensuring more people are vaccinated against the virus.
“I welcome the announcement made by YAB Prime Minister yesterday to convene the Parliament in September or October.
“This shows that the Prime Minister always has best intention for the country, while focusing very hard on managing and fighting Covid-19 for the safety and good of the rakyat and country,” said Nanta, who is also Kapit MP and Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs yesterday.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) secretary general Dato Janang Bunsu also welcomed the announcement as a good move because it shows the government is seriously looking at fighting Covid-19 first.
“People’s lives are far more important than politics. It is imminent that we have to pool all resources to fight Covid-19. Once this first and biggest hurdle is overcome we can look into stabilising our political situation.
“And hopefully, whatever the outcome of parliamentary sitting, once it is permitted, is for the betterment of the livelihood of the people. Then it should enhance economic recovery. Political stability is needed for us to expedite the full recovery from Covid-19 in terms of physical health system, economy and livelihood,” he said.
Meanwhile, Senior Minister of Works and Petra Jaya MP Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof said strategies under the National Recovery Plan are the best approach towards bringing the country out of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis.
As such, he said it was important for all levels of society to work together and give strong support for the success of the plan announced by the Prime Minister.
“Protecting lives and ensuring the survival of the people is the government’s priority in implementing this strategy, which as emphasised by the Prime Minister, is based on data and science as well as certain indicators.
“We have seen signs of a decline in infections since Movement Control Order 3.0 was implemented. However, we should all not be completely complacent, but to continue to fully comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs),” said the PBB senior vice president.
With the vaccination rate set to be increased to more than 300,000 doses a day as well as an increase in vaccine supply of 16 million doses by the end of this July, he is confident this will accelerate the attainment of herd immunity.
Muhyiddin on Tuesday had said Parliament can reconvene in September or October under SOPs based on the government’s new recovery plan.
He explained this would be in the third phase of the four-phase plan, which may be achieved that month if the numbers of Covid-19 new cases continue to drop to below 2,000 each day, and the vaccination reaches 40 per cent of the population.
“I would like to give a commitment that the parliamentary session can be held in this Phase Three which is around September or October by following the strict SOP.
“This is my position from the beginning that the system of parliamentary democracy can function again at the appropriate time, that is, once the Covid-19 cases are under control and we have almost achieved group immunity,” he had said in a special address on Tuesday.
Since last year, Parliament has not been reconvened as it typically would, as it has been suspended under the Emergency from January 11 to August 1.