No vote of no confidence this month
It’s the end of the road – for now at least – for Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s hopes of initiating a Parliamentary vote of no confidence against PM Muhyiddin Yassin. This after it was made known that the so-called Parliament session on May 18 will only see the King deliver his opening address and nothing more.
In other news, Muhyiddin is facing criticism for making the decision for Bersatu to leave Pakatan without the consent of the party’s supreme council; Mahathir’s son Mukhriz remains defiant that he is still Kedah MB despite the fact that 23 of his assemblymen have apparently signed SDs stating they aren’t confident in his leadership; Malaysians can only go Raya visiting on the first day of Aidilfitri and another minister is in trouble for allegedly violating the MCO.
Bye-bye Mukhriz … once again
In what can be seen as a victory for Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin against his own chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Perikatan Nasional announced it now has majority support in the Kedah state assembly. That means Maddey’s son Mukhriz has been kicked out as Menteri Besar – for the second time.
Perikatan is gaining more strength, consolidating its hold in two other states, and ensuring Muhyiddin now has the guaranteed support of BN if and when a motion of no confidence is brought against him in Parliament.
If all this sounds grim, at least things are better on the Covid-19 front – Malaysia has recorded its lowest number of new daily infections in two months. So, yay!
It ain’t really 20 Raya visitors at a time
So it turns out that the 20-people-at-a-time Hari Raya visiting rule is just a guide. The question is though, 20, 10 or five, how the heck is the government gonna police this?
In other news, parents might soon be barred from taking their kids to malls and other public places, the Health Minister claims innocence in a graft probe, and down in Melaka, one state legislative assembly speaker gets exchanged for another.
Has Muhyiddin made a big blunder?
PM Muhyiddin Yassin was on the telly yesterday, with yet another announcement on what the plan is in the battle against Covid-19. But it feels like the strategy this time round is a little off.
Meanwhile, there’s still lots of debate whether the CMCO is a good idea; and there’s a whole lot of trouble brewing, politics wise, starting with our glorious leader facing a vote of no confidence brought about by his own party chairman.
Politicking trumps coronavirus
What’s a small thing like a global pandemic that’s infected millions and killed hundreds of thousands when there’s politics to be played? As the single-day sitting of Parliament draws near, the temperature is rising as our so-called leaders begin jockeying for power and position.
That said, there’s still a lot to talk about on Covid-19. A new infection cluster has been detected; a senior minister clarifies that companies won’t actually be shut down if just one employee tests positive; and, an MCO violator speaks about how she was bullied by other inmates in prison.
Sign of the times?
Bank Negara Malaysia again slashed its overnight policy rate, bringing it down to its lowest point in a decade. It’s the latest sign our economy has taken a severe beating thanks to Covid-19. It’s also, perhaps, an indication of just why the government thought it best to open the nation’s economy up again.
There’re still plenty of issues surrounding the conditional MCO, however, with employers arguing it would be too much of a strain on their finances to test all foreign workers and some state governments still unwilling to open their economies. Opinions are even divided as to whether these states have such autonomy.
And, today’s BTL wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the curious case of the VVIP’s daughter who got off easy for breaching the MCO.
We’re now in MCO Phase 5. But what does that mean?
In yesterday’s newsletter, we, like the rest of Malaysia, were still referring to our current situation as Phase 4 of the MCO. Well, guess what?We were all wrong, folks! We’re in Phase 5. Well, at least that’s what we’re being told now.
Also in the news, Opposition leaders demand a longer Parliament meeting, new Covid-19 cases go back down to two digits daily, and Malaysians make a beeline for pawn shops.
And lastly, if you’re wondering what our new normal actually looks like (for now at least), check out these photos of Malaysians as they began venturing out after almost seven weeks of isolation.
Can somebody tell us what’s actually going on?
Today is supposed to be the day Malaysia re-opens its economy. However, no one appears to know for certain what’s happening. Also, at least seven states are holding back until things are clearer.
In other news, raids on undocumented migrants may have the adverse effect of forcing them into hiding, the number of Covid-19 infections climbs again, and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s daughter is set to be charged with violating the MCO.
Several MCO regulations relaxed, Malaysians rejoice
Several Movement Control Order (MCO) regulations have been relaxed, with perhaps the happiest one (at least for some Malaysian men) being that now two people in a family can sit in a car. Does this mean a not-too-distant end to being forced to stay at home?
Meanwhile, there’s been a spike in the number of new Covid-19 cases in the country; a single mum has her custodial sentence for an MCO violation reduced to a fine; a senior minister goes all silly and defends the indefensible; and a cop is charged over the alleged rape of two foreign women.
VIPs get off easy as hammer falls on rakyat
At some point, Covid-19 can no longer be used as an excuse to not convene a full meeting of Parliament. That point is coming ever closer as voices questioning the suspension of the democratic process get louder and louder. The question is, will PM Muhyiddin Yassin listen?
Meanwhile, a deputy minister will be charged for flouting the MCO, AirAsia cabin crew get new Covid threads, and Covid recoveries continue to outpace new infections.
Lastly, if you didn’t read the special email we sent out at 4pm yesterday, we urge you to click on this link
as we have a very important announcement to make.