KUALA LUMPUR: The Parliament should form a new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on National Recovery when the Dewan Rakyat reconvenes to ensure a bipartisan approach to saving lives and livelihoods during the Covid-19 endemic.
Kingsley Advisory and Strategic Initiatives (KSI) for Asia Pacific president Tan Sri Michael Yeoh said this might be akin to the successful APPG on the sustainable development goals (SDG), which includes members from both the government and opposition parties.
In the forthcoming special session of Parliament, Yeoh said the institute hopes that members of parliament (MPs) will focus on the 3Rs - Recovery, Reconciliation, and Rebuilding.
"We also wish to call for the establishment of a new National Consultative Council on National Recovery to be set up with representatives from the government, opposition parties, civil society organisations, business and industry associations and think tanks and academics to focus on how we can build back better for the nation," he said in a statement today.
Yeoh expressed the expectation that the government will consider the opposition's, private sector's, non-government organisations (NGO) and think tank groups' perspectives and proposals.
He also urges MPs on both sides of the House to put the people and the country first, putting aside political differences and rivalries so that Malaysia can pool its resources and efforts to defeat the pandemic.
"MPs should be true Wakil Rakyat, not merely Wakil Parti," he stated, emphasising the importance of the nation and people over party goals.