Soo urges Sarawakians not to panic with proclamation of emergency

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Lina Soo

KUCHING (Jan 12): Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) president Lina Soo has urged Sarawakians not to panic with the proclamation of a state of emergency by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to contain the worsening Covid-19 pandemic in the nation.

“It is the wisdom of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to take measures to combat Covid-19 pandemic, including an emergency where the lives of the people are at risk. In fact, many other western democracies, including Europe had declared emergency to stop the rampage of Covid-19.

“The greatest effect of the emergency is to stop all politicking whilst the nation tries to manage this health threat,” she said when contacted Tuesday.

Emphasising the importance of giving priority to curbing the spread of Covid-19, Soo pointed out that this is an emergency to pause all politicking in order to manage the pandemic.

“It is not an emergency by military measures, so public should not worry. All activities on the ground will go on as usual, with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Cooperation of public is crucial to get over this situation.

“Political squabbling and demanding change of government during the height of a public health crisis is the lowest form of politics which serve only politicians’ and party interests, and putting the people last.

“We can always change the government after the public health threat where lives are at risk, is over,” she said.

Soo opined that politics must save lives and not endanger lives. Therefore, she reminded politicians to place people’s lives and safety above politics.

She believed the health crisis can be curbed within half a year with stringent measures, vaccine for herd immunity, and the cooperation from the public.

“We can surely wait for a few months until the pandemic crisis has ebbed, then we can go for elections to change the government.

“It will not be too late then, but lives would have been saved,” she said.