Stop it, DAP veteran tells politicians jostling for power to get priorities straight

A DAP veteran who served as a federal MP for close to four decades has urged all quarters to stop jostling for power, saying the focus of the country should be on battling the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Tan Seng Giaw, who was the Kepong MP for eight terms before being dropped from the 2018 polls, said the Islamic new year which falls today should be a lesson for Malaysians on getting their priorities right.

“Awal Muharram calls on us to enjoin good. So let us start from the most important, the health of the people,” Tan told MalaysiaNow.

His comments come as PKR and Umno step up their efforts to muster enough support to topple Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government.

Anwar Ibrahim and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi have been submitting statutory declarations to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong despite an assurance from Muhyiddin that he will put his support to the test when Parliament convenes in September.

Tan said all parties should end the current polemic.

“We should stop this war of words among parties over who should be the government, who should be this and that,” he added.

Tan, a medical doctor, said although many people have been vaccinated, the virus casualties continue to rise.

He said the people’s health and lives should be politicians’ biggest priority.

“Not only us, the whole world is facing this problem especially the US. It is very bad there even though they are much more advanced than we are.

“The question of who should be the government, stop these political quarrels first. Think and find a way to solve the people’s health problems caused by the spread of Covid-19.”

Malaysia has been recording tens of thousands of new cases each day as the Delta variant spreads throughout the country.

The government is aiming to achieve herd immunity by the end of October, with a cautious move to gradually resume daily activities under the National Recovery Plan.