Unite in battle against Covid-19, PM tells Malaysians on Merdeka eve

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today called on the Malaysian Family to join hands in the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic and to free the country of economic turmoil and political instability.

In his address in conjunction with National Day tomorrow, Ismail said the double challenge of having to deal with a pandemic and an economic downturn, which has impacted political stability globally, was unprecedented.

“In conjunction with the National Day spirit, we must continue battling Covid-19 as our main foe. Our success in doing this will pave the way to economic recovery in the new normal.

“The economy must be healed, the people’s well-being must be enhanced and investor confidence must return,” he said.

He said one way the Malaysian Family could help in the nation’s recovery was to get vaccinated as quickly as possible, as vaccines had been proven to have a positive effect against Covid-19.

Based on data and facts, he voiced confidence that through full cooperation from all parties, the war against Covid-19 would end in victory.

Ismail said the country’s independence movement after the end of World War II had united people across the political divide to reject the Malayan Union.

He said this was a clear manifestation of the people’s struggle to achieve independence at the expense of the lives of many national heroes.

“The nation hails their struggles and sacrifices, especially the armed forces and the police from then until now,” he said.

Ismail also invited the people to be filled with a sense of togetherness, as shown by former leaders Tunku Abdul Rahman, Abdul Razak Hussein, Hussein Onn, Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, Tan Cheng Lock, HS Lee and VT Sambanthan.

“This also includes leaders from Sabah and Sarawak such as Mustapha Harun, Muhammad Fuad Stephens, Abdul Rahman Ya’kub and Temenggong Jugah, during the formation of Malaysia. This sense of togetherness should be emulated to heal and rebuild the nation,” he said.