Lim Kit Siang
KUCHING (Aug 16): Democratic Action Party (DAP) veteran parliamentarian leader Lim Kit Siang said today that Malaysia needs a new prime minister to introduce a new team and new policies to end the carnage of Covid-19 pandemic.
The Iskandar Puteri MP said he backed Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the next prime minister, and not Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said Ismail Sabri has been part of Perikatan Nasional (PN) government in the management of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has seen the country recording over 12,500 deaths and 1.4 million infections.
“Unless there is new leadership and new policies, Malaysia is heading towards over 15,000 deaths and over 1.7 million Covid-19 cases when we mark our 64th Merdeka Day on Aug 31,” he said in a statement today.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is expected to tender his resignation during an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong today.
According to Lim, there will be no change of policy direction whether on the Covid-19 pandemic, economic revival or breakaway from the nation-building policies if Ismail Sabri is made the next prime minister.
“Ismail Sabri as the next prime minister will mean more of the same policies which can only see Malaysia end up as a failed state.
“Malaysia needs a new prime minister and a new leadership where Malaysians, regardless of ethnicity, religion, region or politics, can again dream the Malaysian Dream of Malaysia as a world-class great nation and to take steps to fulfill Bapa Malaysia’s (our forefathers’) aspiration to make Malaysia ‘a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world’,” he said.
Lim pointed out that Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) has increased 90 times since 1970 but Indonesia has increased by 117 times, Vietnam 122 times, China 163 times, Singapore 175 times and South Korea 178 times.
He said both Singapore and Vietnam have overtaken Malaysia in having larger GDP after the past 50 years.
“In 50 years’ time, will we be overtaking other countries and will more countries be overtaking us?” he asked.
Given this, he reiterated that Malaysia needs a prime minister and a new leadership planning for Malaysia in 2070 and not worrying about their survival in Parliament or just how to gain control of Covid-19 pandemic.
He added that the country needs “a prime minister and leadership for the future of all Malaysians – today and tomorrow”.