DAP urges Warisan, Pejuang to sign MoU with govt

DAP’s Lim Kit Siang has urged other opposition blocs to join Pakatan Harapan (PH) in signing the memorandum of understanding with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, stressing the need for a “political ceasefire” to reset the focus on winning the battle against Covid-19.

In a statement, the Iskandar Puteri MP noted Malaysia’s cumulative death toll which currently stands at over 22,000.

“DAP and PH will do their utmost to honour their undertaking in the CSR MoU because we cannot allow the Covid-19 pandemic to continue with its ravages of lives and livelihoods in Malaysia, causing over two million Covid-19 cases and a toll of over 22,000 lives in 21 months,” he said, referring to the confidence-supply-reform agreement signed on Sept 13.

“I hope Warisan, Pejuang and Muda support and sign the CSR MoU with the prime minister for a better future for all Malaysians,” he added.

The MoU was signed by MPs from PN and PH in a move described by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob as “consultative democracy”.

The agreement was signed by Ismail and top PH leaders Anwar Ibrahim, Mohamad Sabu, Lim Guan Eng and Upko’s Wilfred Madius Tangau.

However, Warisan and Pejuang rejected the agreement, saying they had not been consulted ahead of time.

Lim reiterated that his party and PH would do their best to ensure that the MoU works, adding however that “there is no guarantee that it will successfully usher Malaysia into a new political landscape”.

He added that the MoU would not mean the end of the opposition in Parliament, saying MPs from DAP and PH would remain “as articulate and outspoken for justice, freedom, progress and unity as ever”.

But given Malaysia’s Covid-19 death rate, he said there must be a “political ceasefire”.

“This is why there must be a political ceasefire in the next 10-18 months to unite Malaysians to single-mindedly win the losing war against the Covid-19 pandemic and overcome the existential threat posed by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.