MP SPEAKS | Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s first task when he returns to work after a two-week quarantine should be to convene a specialised Parliamentary meeting in June focused on the Covid-19 outbreak.

Malaysia should not go down in history as the only country which cannot unite the people to face the pandemic because of the inability to legitimise a backdoor government. 

Because of this, it is forced to lockdown Parliament, crippling the constitutional role of MPs to provide oversight and scrutiny of the executive for the improvement of the government during the pandemic.

Even in countries badly hit by Covid-19, such as Spain, UK, Italy, Germany and France (all within the world's top 12 of most number of cases), their Parliaments continue to sit and perform their role, and the same applies to the Parliaments of Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan and South Korea. 

In fact, South Korea held a parliamentary election in the midst of the outbreak in mid-April to vote for 300 members of the National Assembly.

Why then should Malaysia go down the road of infamy in locking down Parliament under Muhyiddin?

The fact that there have been no Covid-19 deaths here for the last 13 days is most commendable and an excellent reflection of the professionalism and dedication of frontliners, as well as the cooperation of the people in the war against the coronavirus.

The daily increase of Covid-19 cases is under control, and apart from migrant workers, it has mostly been reduced to single-digit figures.

The country's greatest challenge now is to learn to live with the virus until a vaccine or cure is found, which may take up to five years. The success cannot depend on the fiat of the government, but unity, support and cooperation of the people.

How are Malaysians to continue not only to win the public health war and to prevent a resurgence but also to successfully bring about an economic recovery, reopen educational institutions and restore life which has been seriously paralysed by the pandemic?

This is why the restoration of parliamentary democracy is important - for the tabling and approval of an exit plan strategy and blueprint in Parliament which will be accepted by all as the Malaysian National Recovery Plan from Covid-19.

LIM KIT SIANG is the member of Parliament for Iskandar Puteri.

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