PUTRAJAYA, 4 Feb 2021 (The Capital Post)- Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in a special message stated that Malaysian healthcare system is almost reaching breaking point with daily cases on rise despite the Movement control order 2.0 (MCO 2.0).
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“Our Covid-19 hospitals, including the Intensive Care Units, are nearing 100 per cent capacity. This situation needs to be addressed immediately so our nation’s health system will not be paralysed,” said Muhyiddin in a special address today.
Muhyiddin said one of the important aspects of the State of Emergency was the Emergency Ordinance (Essential Powers) 2021 which allows the government to temporarily outsource private health facilities.
This covers hospitals, clinics, labs, human resources, services and other assets deemed necessary to increase the pandemic’s efficiency management.
The special message at 3.30 p.m. today also emphasized on allowing economic sectors to operate taking into consideration of livehood of Malaysian and applying stricter Standard of procedures (SOP) to avoid loose ends.
With Emergency in place and government with power to make amendments, PM stated that amendments to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 will deal with harsher penalties against anyone found violating SOP to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Emergency Management Technical Committee has scrutinised provisions to the law to allow stricter and swifter enforcement of the SOP.
“It is crucial to follow SOP at workplaces, workers’ quarters, business premises and factories to break the chain of Covid-19 infections.
Enforcement must be enhanced to ensure adherence to the SOP,” he added.
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He also stated, business or any organization that found violating SOP will be ordered to shut down under the new amendments and repeated offenders will face higher fines and jail time.
Amendments were also made to the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 that will also require employers to prepare more proper accommodation for their workers.
PM added, “They will be required to offer accommodations that meet standards, bear all accommodation, moving and screening costs for their workers, monitor their foreign labour at the workplace and at their living quarters as well as ensure that agents prepare accommodation that meet public health standards and requirements,”
On potential vaccination Muhyiddin Yassin says, the government will roll out the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme at the end of the month where 80 per cent of the nation’s population will be inoculated in the biggest ever vaccination exercise conducted in Malaysia.
Around 80 per cent of the population or 26.5 million people will be vaccinated and it will be given to Malaysians for free.
He also stated, he will personally recommend Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to dissolve the parliament and have General Election once it is announce safe to hold election and request fellow politicians and opposition leaders work together to fight against the virus.
The Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was on Jan 26 reported to have filed for leave to initiate a judicial review over the government’s decision to seek for an emergency proclamation last month.
The application was to seek a declaration from the court that Muhyiddin’s advice to the King for an emergency proclamation was unconstitutional and unlawful.- The Capital Post