LETTER | M'sia losing precious lead time in fighting Covid-19

LETTER | There is a poster making its rounds on social media stating 'Rakyat tak nak Lockdown; Rakyat nak Muhyiddin Stepdown'.

I am not stirring a storm in a teacup.

The people steering the national safety, health, and wellbeing of the country need to sit up quickly and address the reality on the ground.

We have lost precious lead time in our battle against the pandemic and to convincingly rein in the slipping economy.

When the business communities have to still warn of an imminent collapse of all businesses if a lockdown is initiated despite the country registering 6,000 over daily cases of infections, it means that confidence in the Perikatan Nasional-led government is peeling off.

If people still have to argue over lockdown versus economy when health services are already collapsing, it means that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has lost the plot.

If even the ruler of a state has to summon members of the state legislative assembly to assemble for an urgent session to collaborate an action plan to combat Covid-19 that is threatening the framework of our health services and the livelihoods of citizens, PN and its 70-member cabinet must bear the brunt of blame.

We cannot go on and on spinning the same record. These are extraordinary times with unprecedented challenges, including a completely unchartered course ahead of us.

With more than a year of having being given the benefit of doubt by the citizens, including even a three-month emergency space, to manage the Covid-19 attacks, the government has failed to garner the confidence, trust, and support of the rakyat.

That perhaps best explains the poster making its round in social media.

As a responsible leader with the support of a highly responsible cabinet, it is best that Muhyiddin calls Parliament into session.

Any further delay will plunge this country deeper into the pits of the ravaging virus and to even blame anyone thereafter is useless.