Call on Malacca voters to look at the Covid-19 statistics in Malaysia when they cast their vote for the Malacca general election

I want to make a straightforward call today - to ask the Malacca voters to look at the Covid-19 statistics for Malaysia when they cast their vote for the Malacca general election on November 20, 2021.

The reason is simple: The Covid-19 pandemic, not only in Malacca but in Malaysia, affects every aspect of our life in the country – the economy, the job situation, schools and universities, travel, the private space of Malaysians whether in sports, recreation, social or family life.

It is unimaginable that Perikatan Nasional and Barisan Nasional leaders have their way that the Malacca general election could be divorced from the Covid-19 pandemic when the Malaccan economic and social scene is directly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

When Malacca general election is held on Nov. 20, Malaysia would have neared the cumulative totals of 2.6 million Covid-19 cases and 30,000 Covid-19 deaths – when South Korea, which has a larger population than Malaysia, is ranked No. 73 among nations with the most cumulative totals of 388,359 Covid-19 cases and 3,033 Covid-19 deaths.

Malaysia is now ranked No. 20 among nations in the world with the most cumulative totals of 2,528,821 Covid-19 cases and 29,535 Covid-19 deaths.

What is of grave concern is that in the last three days, the nation seems to have lost control of the surge of increase in daily new Covid-19 cases, with daily new Covid-19 cases rebounded to 5,403 cases on 9th November, 6,243 cases on 10th November and 6,323 cases yesterday.

In contrast, Indonesia recorded 436 daily new Covid-19 cases yesterday – its 28th consecutive day in triple-digit numbers - and 16 Covid-19 deaths, its 42nd consecutive day in double-digit Covifd-19 deaths as compared to Malaysia’s 6,323 daily new Covid-19 cases and 49 Covid-19 deaths yesterday.

Can anyone in the Health Ministry or the Ismail Sabri government explain why Malaysia is performing so poorly as compared to Indonesia in the Covid-19 pandemic – whether this a serious sign that after losing to Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and Vietnam, we are losing out to Indonesia?

Indonesia fell as low as 242 daily new increase of Covid-19 cases on Nov. 8 and 11 Covid-19 deaths on Nov. 7, as compared to Malaysia never going below 4,343 daily new Covid-19 cases and 35 Covid-19 deaths both on Nov . 7, 2021.

Lim Kit Siang MP for Iskandar Puteri