KUCHING: The primary mission now is to curb the spread of Covid-19 — not arguing whether the Parliament session should reconvene, said Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.
He also said that politicians should not berate political opponents by bringing up unnecessary issues.
“The idea of reconvening Parliament as proposed by politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties has sparked great controversy among the public.
“With the current situation, representatives of both ruling and opposition parties should be focusing on pandemic prevention measures.
“They should use their platforms to search for more constructive solutions to the problems that the people are facing,” he said today (April 27).
The Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) president said that action speaks louder than words and no matter how much politicians talk about the pandemic in Parliament, nothing gets done without action.
“On the contrary, all political parties should unite and keep the people informed rather than trying to spark panic or hatred among the people,” he said.
He said as a party president and MP, he strongly agreed that Parliament plays an important role in reflecting the issues faced by constituents.
“However, everyone must realise that the mission now is to curb the spread of the virus. More attention should be given to rural areas in terms of providing accurate information and assistance,” he said.
Tiong also pointed out that many rural residents still do not understand the importance of pandemic prevention and political leaders should focus on promoting such knowledge, including the importance of getting tested for Covid-19 when experiencing symptoms.
“Asymptomatic people roaming around freely in the community are the biggest challenge in flattening the Covid-19 curve. We should encourage the people to get tested regularly in order to protect themselves, their families and the entire community.
“Many citizens are wondering why they should waste their money to get tested when they have no symptoms, but always remember that your life and the lives of others are worth more than the RT-PCR test which costs RM200 to RM300,” he said.
He also added that the issues of various constituencies can still be resolved appropriately without reconvening Parliament.
“It does not mean that they (MPs) can’t fulfil their responsibilities as an MP’s duty is not just restricted to within Parliament.
“I plead with all politicians to listen to the people and dedicate themselves to fighting this pandemic by working together to overcome this challenge,” said Tiong.
