Most shocking that the Muhyiddin government will not suspend the harsh, disproportionate, unconscionable and ill-considered emergency ordinance that requires the police to impose RM10,000 compound fines for breach of MCO

I find it most shocking to read of the announcement yesterday by the Defence Minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob that Putrajaya will not repeal the RM10,000 fine for violating movement control order (MCO) SOP but the fine could be reduced upon appeal by individuals issued such compounds.

This is an indication of how far the government of the day had deviated from its people-centric principles, utterly unmoved by the hardships it imposed on the people by forcing them to go through the hassle and trouble of going to district health offices to appeal against the RM10,000 compound fines, especially when there are no guidelines as to how such an appeal could be made.

Have my call to Ministers of the Muhyiddin Cabinet yesterday to propose the immediate suspension of harsh, disproportionate, unconscionable and ill-considered emergency legislation purportedly to combat the Covid-19 pandemic but is doing the very opposite in increasing the deficit in public trust and confidence fallen on deaf ears?

We will know after the Cabinet meeting today whether there is a single Minister of the record-huge Cabinet who would take up the cudgel on behalf of the sufferings of the people and whether there are Ministers who are prepared to resign from the Cabinet at such harsh, disproportionate, unconscionable and ill-considered emergency legislation.

There is continued good news on the Covid-19 pandemic front with the continued drop of the daily increase of new Covid-19 cases to 1,063 cases, which is the lowest figure for daily new infections since Dec. 9 last year - a good sign that we are at last bringing one of the longest waves of Covid-19 pandemic in the world which had rampaged for seven months under control.

The third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia reached its peak on January 30 with 5,728 new cases, but we must be on guard against premature optimism until we can return initially to three-digit and then to double-digit daily increase of new Covid-19 cases.

But I just cannot understand the reasons for the enactment of harsh, disproportionate, unconscionable and ill-considered emergency ordinances to combat Covid-19 pandemic when the present priority should be to enlist the whole country in a national effort against the Covid-19 pandemic, by accelerating and making a success of the national Covid-19 vaccination campaign, so that the country can return to some normality and begin the effort in economic recovery and national life in the third or fourth quarter of the year!

Talking about misplaced sense of priorities!