Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob can heave a sigh of relief – albeit temporarily – for he has somewhat obtained the support of opposition leaders in his bid to run the government.
The catch, however, is that Ismail Sabri must make good use of his time in office by initiating programmes that would benefit the people.
This is something he would have to hold on to as he faces another uphill task – finalising his Cabinet that will assist him in combating Covid-19, improve the nation’s economy and prepare Malaysia for the much-anticipated 15th General Election.
This was the outcome of a meeting that was called for by Ismail Sabri at his office in Putrajaya today. The meeting was attended by PKR’s Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.
Anwar said Pakatan Harapan would not complicate matters for Ismail Sabri when a vote of confidence is called in Parliament, as long as he carries out initiatives that would benefit the people.
“We got off to a good start and we put forth our request for there to be a more effective handling of Covid-19. We also said there must be more pro-rakyat programmes focusing on the poor, and those who are unemployed,” said Anwar.
“We want this to be a priority. We gave him (Ismail Sabri) the assurance that if these two initiatives are given emphasis, we will have no problems in ensuring that things will be more controlled.”
Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, during a meeting with political party leaders on Aug 17, had decreed that the prime minister chosen by him must immediately submit a motion of confidence to validate his position in the Dewan Rakyat.
Al-Sultan Abdullah also reminded the elected representatives that “those who had won, must work together with those who had not”, and that “all parties must work as a team.”
Anwar also revealed that during the meeting, Lim had raised issues concerning bank moratoriums, while Mohamad had said that the government should explore new approaches in fighting Covid-19, and not be tied down to the old methods.
Anwar said the meeting did not discuss whether there would be a position for the opposition leader in Cabinet.
“The matter did not arise, and I am also not interested. We did not come to ask for positions for ourselves. It’s a non-issue,” he said.
In a joint statement issued by Ismail Sabri and the three opposition leaders later, they said they agreed on the importance of an independent judiciary, institutional reforms, and good governance to ensure a more conducive environment for the people and the country in the context of Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family).
Here are Twentytwo13’s news highlights.
FRONTLINERS GET STANDING OVATION FROM PERAK SULTAN
The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah Sultan Azlan Shah, along with members of the state legislative assembly, today gave a standing ovation to the nation’s frontliners who have worked tirelessly in the fight against Covid-19.
Sultan Nazrin expressed his appreciation to the health and medical personnel, members of the security forces, public transport operators, food delivery men, staff in grocery stores, supermarkets and pharmacies who were the tip of the spear in the nation’s fight against the pandemic.
He also urged all state assemblymen to work together to cultivate the spirit of unity among the people.
SELANGOR PREPARING COVID-19 BOOSTER SHOTS
Selangor is working on providing booster shots for the Covid-19 vaccine under its Selangor Vaccine Programme (SelVAX).
State Public Health, Unity, Women and Family Development Committee chairman Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud, told the State Assembly that preparations also included vaccinating those aged 18 and below.
Dr Siti Mariah said, as of Aug 22, 224,880 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine had been given out under SelVAX, with 275,120 doses remaining.
Malaysia recorded 22,642 new Covid-19 cases today, with Selangor registering the most cases at 6,325.
MSM MALAYSIA RECORDS NET PROFIT OF OVER RM13M IN Q2
MSM Malaysia Holdings recorded a net profit of RM13.47 million in the second quarter of this year.
The sugar manufacturer recorded a net loss of RM21.55 million in the same quarter last year.
MSM said the increase in the export of refined sugar, among others, had helped boost its revenue.
The company anticipated a 10 per cent growth in domestic sales in the second half of the year.
FOREIGN NEWS WEBSITES NOT BLOCKED, INSISTS MCMC
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) denied allegations that it had blocked access to articles from international news websites.
The commission said the uniform resource locators (URLs) for news articles from Nikkei Asia, Yahoo News, Reuters, Al-Jazeera, The Guardian and Washington Post had been intentionally, or coincidentally, shortened or modified.
“Because of that, any attempt to click on the URLs would take the user to a page that shows as though the articles do not exist anymore.
“MCMC’s checks show that the articles still exist, can be accessed and were not erased or taken down by the news portals, as alleged,” it said in a statement.
‘RIDE FOR GOOD’ AIMS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THOSE HIT BY PANDEMIC
RHB Banking Group launched its first virtual cycling event, ‘RHB Virtual Ride: Ride for Good’, that will allow participating cyclists to contribute to a good cause.
The banking group pledged RM100,000 by way of contributing RM1 for every 1km cycled, capped at 100km per participating cyclist. The money will go towards assisting communities that had been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns.
In addition to the RM100,000 pledge, RHB Foundation had also allocated RM100,000 for the same cause.
Registration for the ‘RHB Virtual Ride: Ride for Good’ is free and is open, starting today to Sept 17. The event is scheduled to take place from Sept 18-Oct 3. For more information or to register, visit https://www.racexasia.com/event/rhb-ride-for-good-rhbr21
