Muhyiddin is a 'paloi' PM

COMMENT | I believe Muhyiddin, but we can’t have a ‘paloi’ PM now

by Francis Paul Siah

To be honest, I have both sympathy and empathy for Muhyiddin Yassin. I understood his feelings and had experienced what and how he must have felt.

I think what he poured out during his recent interview came from his heart and soul. And surprise, surprise, I believe him. Yes, I do. This time.

On May 23, the prime minister said he was prepared to take abuse from the public amid frustration over measures against Covid-19 but urged people to play their part in bringing the pandemic under control.

“They can blame the government. They can scold the prime minister. I accept. Scold ‘stupid prime minister’, it’s okay. I can say it on television.”

The prime minister is a man, after all, a human being with feelings and emotions. If you feel nothing after 346 Malaysians died within a week and the Covid-19 infections have crossed the half-million mark, then you must either be a ghost or an alien from outer space.

I’m also glad that Muhyiddin has been honest by conceding that in March last year, the government had no experience in dealing with the pandemic.

That is to say, the government started implementing SOPs while groping in the dark then. MCO 1.0, although successful in some ways to stem the virus transmission, had been a total disaster for the economy. We were brought down on our knees.

Muhyiddin also explained that the government could not afford a full MCO 3.0 lockdown now because to revive the economy after that requires half a trillion ringgit, a sum we don’t have. That I also understand.

As is always the case, politicians from the opposition were quick on the draw to shoot down the prime minister.

This time, I will not be defending the opposition although I do not support this backdoor government and consider Muyhiddin an illegitimate prime minister.

I do not think this is the time for the opposition to keep blasting the PM. It serves no purpose and does not achieve anything. The virus won’t go away even if Muhyiddin is not PM today.

If I have to say it, I think it only makes those lambasting Muhyiddin as “paloi” as the “paloi prime minister”. (Paloi is my favourite Sarawak term for “stupid”)

Many opposition MPs had hit out at Muhyiddin in recent days but let me mention three who I remember offhand.

Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming said that the PM seemed to be seeking public sympathy with his recent statement.

Well, nothing wrong with seeking sympathy from the people during such tumultuous times. The PM has won my sympathy, which means I support his call to Malaysians to go on self- lockdown. Again, this does not mean I will vote for his Perikatan Nasional government in the next polls.

Then, we heard Dr Lee Boon Chye declaring yesterday that with Malaysia hitting 7,289 Covid-19 cases, Putrajaya has lost its battle against the virus.

The former deputy health minister said the record-high number of new daily cases shows MCO 3.0 has failed.

Of course, we all know that MCO 3.0 has failed. Everything we have carried out over the past 15 months of the pandemic has failed. That is without a doubt.

The question is, Dr Lee, what do you think you can do to help the government turn the game in our favour? That’s what I’m interested to know. Enough of the same potshots against the PM. They have become stale and monotonous.

Finally and surely, how could I forget this salvo from the evergreen Dr Mahathir Mohamad who claimed that the ongoing emergency has only succeeded to strengthen the prime minister's position and powers, rather than achieving its aim of reducing Covid-19 infections?

Hello, Dr Mahathir, to stop repeating myself and out of respect, I would earnestly appeal to you to stop whining. If you were the PM today, you would have done the same. Implement policies to favour your administration. No difference to me. I should know by now.

Many Malaysians, including me, have been trying to shut out negative vibes during such troubling times and your constant whining, dear Dr Mahathir, is not helping.

However, what I do know is that Malaysia cannot afford a paloi prime minister today. Since he is already at the helm, Muhyiddin has to provide strong, cohesive and decisive leadership.

A key request of mine to the PM today is to ensure that those in power do not steal or even get the opportunity to be corrupt during this pandemic.

It is a mortal sin to steal from our public coffers when Malaysians are suffering from not enough to eat and when our PM has already sounded the alarm bell that “the government has no money now”.

One key issue we must watch out for more now than ever is how public funds are utilised. We cannot afford any misuse or mismanagement.

Queries about the purchase prices and new orders of the Covid-19 vaccines, the stimulus packages, overseas visits by ministers and other public expenditures considered “unnecessary” etc are proper and valid.

The PM must respond to the opposition’s posers about the RM5 billion taken from the National Trust Fund for Covid-19 expenses as the vaccination rate remains very low.

Mr Prime Minister, I must also ask what is this latest nonsense of an RM20,000 allocation for all MPs from the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry for outreach purposes to promote the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP).

What impeccable timing? Our coffers are running dry and yet, we are dishing out more money for our overpaid, under-worked MPs.

This is filling the pockets of politicians of another RM4.5 million; many of whom clearly do not deserve it. Might as well offer cash incentives for those who are not keen to be vaccinated.

Muhyiddin, if you have approved this paloi “incentive” for the already well-fed MPs, then I have to call you a “paloi PM”. I offer no apologies for saying this.