KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang has urged Dewan Negara President Tan Sri Rais Yatim to set up a select committee on Covid-19 in the event the Dewan Rakyat fails to do so. 

He said the committee should be under the chairmanship of former health minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad, and it will conduct public hearings and involve the country’s best minds in the war against Covid-19 pandemic.

"This is the first step for Malaysia to adopt an ‘all-of-government’ and ‘whole-of-society’ mindset and approach in the war against the pandemic,” Lim said in a statement. 

The Iskandar Puteri MP claimed that he has made this proposal many times, but has been routinely ignored. 

"For a year, the Muhyiddin government has failed to adopt an ‘all-of-government’ and ‘whole-of –society’ mindset and approach in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Instead we see prevalent double-standards by the Ministers and top government officials where the Standard Operating Procedures on Covid-19 apply to ordinary Malaysians but not to VIPs and VVIPs,” he said. 

Lim said if the trajectory of the daily increase in new Covid-19 cases in Malaysia is maintained, the country will overtake China with a cumulative total of Covid-19 cases by the time the Dewan Rakyat adjourns this Thursday. 

"This is not something for Malaysia to be proud of, because China has over 40 times the population of Malaysia, with a 1.4 billion population compared to Malaysia’s 32 million population.

"Malaysia is now ranked No. 80 among countries with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases; i.e. 83,475 cases compared to China, ranked No. 79, with 86,725 cases,” he said. 

Lim cited the United States’ Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) projection for Malaysia to have a continuous rise in Covid-19 cases until mid-March 2021, hitting over 5,000 infections daily on February 25 next year. 

"If this IHME model is proved right, then Malaysia may become among the world’s top 30 or 40 nations with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases by the second quarter of next year.

"The time has come for Malaysia to adopt an ‘all-of-government’ and ‘whole-of-society’ mindset and approach in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said. 

Lim said Malaysia must aim to be among the top 30 nations in the world in the war against corruption and in public integrity, and not be among the top 30 nations that failed in public health policy with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases.