LETTERS: Malaysians have been inundated with two pieces of news recently – one good and one bad. The bad news is that Covid-19 cases are on the rise.
We reached a landmark 964,000 cases which is both worrying and unsettling to all Malaysians.
The good news is that our vaccination rates are at an all-time high. It has been reported that more than 15 million doses have been administered, bringing us that much closer to a fully inoculated population and a subsequent economic reopening.
The question now is, where do we go from here? It is a simple question but there is a lot to unpack. I would very much defer to the experts we have at hand to decide on the healthcare aspect of things.
In short, we all want the same end – a reduction of cases, lesser strain on our healthcare system, a fully vaccinated nation, and the resumption of normalcy in our lives. But, in achieving these goals, we cannot run away from another critical query – how to get there?
This requires political will. Last year, the two words on the lips of quite a few influential politicians and many Malaysians were "unity government". However, as the past one year has shown, this is a tough ask.
As we are reaching a crucial moment in our fight against the pandemic, the last thing we would want is to indulge this ask and throw the nation into a deep political turmoil. Nevertheless, the essence of a unity government should not be lost on us – that being, a stop to political bickering and cooperation from both sides of the aisle to determine a holistic strategy, moving forward.
Therefore, the middle ground, is bipartisanship.
We have seen it happen before with Undi-18 when the Federal Constitution was amended to lower the voting age to 18 years old with unanimous backing from both the government backbenchers and opposition bloc. So, it is not an impossible task to achieve.
We have already seen steps taken to that end. Recently, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz who was appointed to lead the special cabinet committee to oversee the National Recovery Plan met with opposition figures from DAP, PKR and Warisan. Last year, he also met with opposition MPs to discuss the 2021 Budget before its tabling.
Instances like these showcase a glimmer of hope to Malaysians that our politicians are able to set aside their differences and work together for the betterment of the rakyat. For too long, political battlelines have been drawn and fiercely protected.
Now, the enemy is a common one – a deathly virus that could spell disaster for the country if we do not stop politicking.
The National Recovery Council being headed by the finance minister who has no political affiliation is also a positive development. It assures the rakyat that they will not be led by someone who may have an inclination to a particular political narrative, motive or ideology. The inclusion of industry leaders, subject matter experts and NGOs will also work to this end.
Winning this war requires a collective effort and we have already placed our better foot forward. There are signs that the best is yet to come.
Foreign investments have improved 383 per cent in Q1 2021 compared to the same time last year. Approved investments for the first four months of this year are up 95.6 per cent especially in the manufacturing sector. Fitch and S&P Global Ratings recently re-affirmed Malaysia's sovereign credit ratings.
Echoing this, Moody's praised our economic track record and handed us an A3 rating with a stable outlook. These reaffirmations by three separate, independent agencies reflect the economy's resilience amidst an uncertain landscape, good medium-term growth prospects and stable current account surplus supported by a diversified market and export offerings.
If we want to see these economic improvements sustain towards a longer term, bipartisanship is our best bet. It allows politicians from both sides of the divide to work together towards a common economic and health solution caused by this pandemic, without coercing political loyalty to any one side. This could be the ultimate formula to our success.
CK Leong
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times