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KOTA KINABALU: The new Perikatan Nasional state government must learn from the previous government’s mistakes in addressing Covid-19, not repeat them, says SAPP, which is part of the new administration.
SAPP chairman Datuk Yong Teck Lee said this new government would be judged on how it can revive the economy, how it tackles this second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, and hot topics like undocumented immigrants, the proposed Papar dam, and the agrarian reforms.
He said that while Prime Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor got off to a good start with a strong statement that the government would focus on economic revival, he made his first misstep after that.
“There was widespread confusion as to whether there was a ‘lockdown’ or just restrictions on travel between districts due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
“Different SOPs were announced and then they were withdrawn without any explanation. This was unfortunate because the worst thing that can happen in crisis management is confusion, ”Yong said.
He said both the federal and state governments must act together, overcome shortcomings and correct past mistakes by the Warisan-led government.
“We should learn from the past mistakes of the previous government instead of repeating them,” he said.
Yong said that by now all countries have acquired enough knowledge of what the virus is about, unlike when it was first discovered earlier this year.
He said most have experience in handling the crisis, including the economic consequences.
“Therefore, both the federal and Sabah governments, which are now aligned, have no excuse that this second phase of Covid-19 is more difficult to address than the first,” he said.
Yong also reiterated his previous statements that authorities should closely and urgently engage stakeholders such as chambers of commerce, business associations, tour and restaurant operators, professional bodies, transportation organizations, and consumer groups to obtain accurate feedback on their policies.
He said that seven months after the pandemic, authorities should have maintained close communications with interested parties.
“Stakeholders can provide useful feedback and expertise to authorities so that the government can design policies and motion control order (MCO) rules that can protect both the health of the people and the economic well-being of the country,” he said.
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