New PM's message

Good morning, here's a quick rundown of what happened over the weekend.

Key Highlights

• New PM's message
  
  

• PN or BN?
  
  

• Klang Valley vaccination
  
  

New PM's message

Bangsa Malaysia, 1Malaysia and Prihatin are among some of the slogans put forward by previous prime ministers and Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who was sworn in as the ninth prime minister last Saturday, is no exception.

Ismail touted the concept of "Malaysian Family" and tailored his inaugural speech as the prime minister to call on the government and opposition MPs to unite in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ismail also asked the opposition to join the National Recovery Council (NRC), an offer made by his predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin, but which was never seriously considered after a bitter experience.

Prior to the NRC, three opposition MPs agreed to join the special committee to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the state of emergency but it was never given a serious role.

With a new prime minister, the DAP said it is ready to consider the NRC offer but cautioned that it won't accept a token appointment aimed at rubber-stamping the government's decisions.

The next few weeks will give a better indication if Ismail is genuine about bipartisan cooperation or will adopt past strategies of giving the opposition a token role, simply for public relations purposes.

HIGHLIGHTS

	'New' govt: Activists sceptical things would change Ismail needs to deal with a trust deficit.
	Dr M insists on another emergency This is despite a new govt in charge.
	Anwar says opposition needs to focus on GE15 This is after losing out to Ismail in the PM race.

PN or BN?

Even before Ismail appointed his new cabinet, friction emerged between Umno and Bersatu leaders.

Some Umno leaders argue that with their party heading the government, it's now a BN government but Bersatu leaders insist it's still a Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu, for example, pointed out that the majority of MPs backing Ismail Sabri are from PN and therefore it is a PN government.

Interestingly, Ismail only mentioned PN once in his inaugural speech and that was to thank Muhyiddin and his former cabinet.

However, when he voiced appreciation for all the 114 MPs who backed him as the new prime minister, he referred to Bersatu, PAS and Star individually instead of the PN coalition.

In contrast, he referred to BN and GPS as a coalition. His government comprises BN, PN, GPS, PBS and independent MPs.

Ismail has not indicated what he plans to call his new government.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Ismail Sabri's meteoric rise, and his controversies He scored major political gains in recent years.
	Dr M's aide: Umno overthrowing Bersatu bit by bit 'This would not happen if Bersatu heeded Dr M's advice'
	Don't create a minister mentor post on a whim - Umno The position was proposed for ex-PM Muhyiddin.

Klang Valley vaccination

The Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) move to scale back vaccination centres in the Klang Valley without proper communication sparked alarm.

This was after general practitioners, private hospitals and some mega vaccination centres were informed that their services were no longer needed for now.

Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, who usually toes the government line, revealed that the move was against his recommendation.

The CITF later clarified that with a substantial population in the Klang Valley vaccinated, demand there was declining.

However, it said the government may re-engage service providers in future if there are recommendations for booster shots or a vaccination programme for those aged under 18.

Meanwhile, the CITF halted walk-in vaccination for non-citizens to ensure a "more comfortable environment" after incidents of conflict, including a Rela officer hitting a migrant.

Thousands of migrant workers thronged the Bukit Jalil Stadium yesterday for the last day of walk-in vaccination, after which they must get an appointment.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Ismail Sabri pledges a more comprehensive Covid-19 strategy PM also promises fundamental changes to the economy.
	Salvaging lives amidst the ruins of a pandemic How 'common' people get together.
	Hospital resources redistributed as Covid-19 epicentre shifts The focus is on shifting out of the Klang Valley.

 

A daily glance at Covid-19

• 19,807 new cases yesterday (Aug 22).
  
  
• Another 232 Covid-19 deaths pushed the death toll over the 14,000-mark.
  
  
• The seven-day positivity rate continued to trend upwards to 14.19 percent last week compared to 13.59 percent in the preceding week. The World Health Organisation's recommended positivity rate is under five percent, suggesting there are still many unregistered Covid-19 cases despite record numbers.
  
  
• For trends on daily cases, tests, hospital beds capacity, vaccination progress and more, follow our Covid-19 tracker.
  
  

What else is happening?

• Individuals fully vaccinated against Covid-19 can now travel in vehicles without a passenger limit. The previous limit was two per vehicle.
  
  
• Putrajaya was urged to be more proactive in ensuring people are vaccinated against Covid-19 after 17 out of 24 residents at an elderly home died from the disease. None of them was vaccinated.
  
  
• Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim summoned 779 teachers in the state for refusing the Covid-19 vaccine.
  
  
• Police turned up in force to stop the #Lawan2 protest in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday although it was already cancelled, leading to massive traffic congestion. Organisers who had informed the police of the cancellation described the action as excessive.
  
  
• Noor Jan Tuah, the self-proclaimed 'Malacca sultan', died at age 64, believed to be due to Covid-19.
  
  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

	Rumah Bonda founder charged with neglecting child Siti Bainun pleads not guilty to the charge.
	Zuraida worried about Taliban's extremism PAS, however, calls them 'moderate'.
	SSR vigil participant alleges police violence 'They lifted and dragged me into custody.'

What are people saying?

	All we can hope for is a practical govt till GE15 By Zan Azlee
	10 things Ismail can do to help himself and Malaysia By Wong Chin Huat
	Without Anwar, there is no alternative govt By P Ramasamy

KINI LENS