KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 — DAP Johor today urged the Johor state government to emulate both the Selangor and Penang state governments in announcing a significant sum of financial aid package for the Johor people amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

DAP Johor chief Liew Chin Tong cited how Selangor had recently announced a RM73.87 million aid package while Penang had approved a RM20 million financial assistance package to help those affected by the second round of the movement control order (MCO).

"DAP Johor urges the Johor State Government and Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad to emulate the Selangor and Penang Governments in announcing a significant sum of financial aid package for the people of Johor, particularly small businesses.

"The Covid-19 health crisis has worsened, and we need to have a clear plan to contain and mitigate the spread of infection, as well as a plan to help ordinary Malaysians to tide over this crisis which could last for another nine to 18 months,” he said in a statement here.

Liew also urged the Johor state government to reopen morning wet markets and night markets under strict distancing and hygiene rules since shopping malls were allowed to operate.

"If malls, which are enclosed spaces, can operate, there is no reason for open spaces, which have better air ventilation and thus are theoretically safer as far as Covid-19 is concerned, to be shut down. 

"The state government must not overlook the lives and livelihood of ordinary Johoreans while trying to curb the pandemic,” he said.

He also proposed the state-owned KPJ chain of hospitals be turned into semi-public hospitals to assist in areas where the federal government had overlooked such as testing capacity or vaccination readiness.

Last but not least, Liew also urged Hasni to honour the latter’s promises in admitting Opposition members to the District Development Action Committee and Select Committees at the State Assembly level as announced in the state assembly on December 6 last year.

DAP Johor urges the mentri besar to honour his promises. Such committees will be avenues for bipartisan deliberations, and it is needed now more than ever due to the worsening Covid-19 crisis and in face of a federal Emergency rule,” he said.

The latest MCO was announced on January 11 by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The strictest conditions, which prohibits all non-essential movement and businesses from operating, have been placed in several states nationwide where daily Covid-19 cases have been the highest.

On January 21, Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had announced that the MCO will be extended to February 4 for the states and all federal territories first locked down this month.

The states and federal territories affected are Selangor, Melaka, Penang, Johor, Sabah, Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.