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Parliament’s greatest failure will be its inability to set up two Select Committees – one on the Covid-19 Pandemic and the other on Corruption and Integrity

Dewan Rakyat has a last week left for the November/December 2020 meeting before its adjournment – i.e. next Monday to Thursday, Dec. 14 – 17, 2020.

I regard the greatest failure of the November/December meeting of Parliament is its failure to set up two Select Committees – one on the Covid-19 pandemic and the other on Corruption and Integrity.

In fact, Parliament would be gravely negligence and irresponsible in not setting these two Select Committees, reflecting the Muhyiddin Cabinet as its kakistocratic worst.

Yesterday, Malaysia set a new record of daily increase of Covid-19 infections when 2,234 new Covid-19 cases were reported, bringing the cumulative total in Malaysia to 78,499 Covid-19 cases.

Malaysia is fast closing the gap with China and set to overtake China in cumulative total of Covid-19 cases in a matter of days.

Malaysia is ranked No. 80 among countries with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases, while China is ranked No. 78 with 86,673 Covid-19 cases.

Malaysia will overtake China in nine days if the average daily increase of Covid-19 cases in Malaysia average around 2,000-figure while Malaysia overtake China in 18 days if Malaysia’s average daily increases of Covid-19 cases is in the 1,000 region.

Whether nine days or 18 days, Malaysia overtaking China in cumulative total of Covid-19 cases before the year is over must be regarded seriously and should be the subject of investigation by the Select Committee on Covid-19 pandemic as to what had gone wrong with Malaysia’s strategy to fight the Covid-19 pandemic when Malaysia could overtake China in cumulative total of Covid-19 cases when China has over 40 times the population of Malaysia – China’s 1.4 billion as compared to Malaysia’s 32 million.

At one time Malaysia was separated from China by over 60 rankings. On Sept 1, for instance, China had 85,058 Covid-19 cases while Malaysia had 9,354 cases.

What had gone wrong and what is the remedy?

The Select Committee on Covid-19 pandemic should inquire as to why the Muhyiddin government failed to adopt “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach until Malaysia could overtake China in the Covoid-19 pandemic.

There is growing controversy in Malaysia and the world about the safety of the Covid-19 vaccines which are expected to be made public shortly. The Select Committee should conduct a public hearing on this issue to help allay public concerns on the matter.

Next month, Transparency International (TI) will be releasing its Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2020.

Will Malaysia have reason to be proud or ashamed about corruption when TI releases its CPI 2020?

In the TI CPI 2019, Malaysia is ranked No. 51 with a score of 53, registering a single-year improvement of six points for the TI CPI score and 10 placings in TI CPI ranking, which is the best performance for Malaysia in the past quarter of a century.

I do not expect Malaysia to make such leap of progress in the TI CPI 2020, but will Malaysia be going forwards or regressing backwards?

In the Global Corruption Barometer Asia 2020 released by TI at the end of last month, it found that:

  • 71% of Malaysians think that government corruption is a big problem;
  • 39% of Malaysians think corruption has increased in the previous 12 months;
  • 30% of Malaysians think the government is doing a bad job of fighting corruption;
  • Approval rating for the MACC is 74%;
  • That the percentage of Malaysians who think that most or all people in these institutions are corrupt:

    • President/Prime Minister - 25%
    Members of Parliament - 36%
    Government Officials - 28%
    Local govt officials - 18%
    Police - 30%
    Judges and magistrates - 13%
    Religious leaders - 9%
    NGOs - 15%
    Business executives - 27%
    Bankers - 10%
    Army leaders - 9%

Why is Parliament so shy in making the fight against corruption and public integrity a top national priority by setting up a Select Committee on Corruption and Integrity?

The National Integrity Plan (NIP) 2004-2008 launched in 2004 had one of its objectives the placing of Malaysia among the world top 30 countries in public integrity.

Has the Muhyiddin government given up on the challenge to make Malaysia among the world’s top 30 countries in the world on anti-corruption and public integrity?

It is not too late for Parliament to set these two Select Committees, as it is still possible to set up these two Select Committees in the coming week if the government has the political will to do so.

Lim Kit Siang MP for Iskandar Puteri