PRESS STATEMENT

The government’s recent Economic Recovery and People's Protection Package (Pemulih) may be construed as a misnomer as it does not provide enough relief to protect people and businesses from the devastating impact of prolonged lockdowns, let alone set Malaysia up on a course towards recovery.

Given the long-term nature of the COVID-19 crisis, REFSA and IMAN Research calls the government to adopt a more sustainable strategy of dealing with the pandemic that would enable Malaysians to continue to make a living safely.

Adding to the chorus of caution surrounding BNM's optimistic GDP growth projections is the ADB's recent growth estimate of 6% for Malaysia in 2021 at the lower bound of BNM's range. Indeed, given the low vaccination rates and rising case numbers suggestive of a fourth wave, recovery remains elusive without clear plans to address downside risks. With this in mind, our Economics Team will be introducing 10 strategies to rebuild Malaysia better and address the downside risks to growth.

Recent reports of Malaysia’s insolvency are greatly exaggerated. On April 12, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin claimed that the government was running out of money, having spent RM340 billion on pandemic-related stimulus measures and RM322 billion on Budget 2021. This is misleading for two reasons.

REFSA supports the call by ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) urging the Malaysian government to convene parliamentary sessions and urges the government to regard Parliament as a strategic partner and employ a bipartisan approach in the process of formulating policies. We also support the proposal of the Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat to set up a Special Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee consisting of government MPs, the opposition and members of the Senate.

REFSA supports the call by ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) urging the Malaysian government to convene parliamentary sessions and urges the government to regard Parliament as a strategic partner and employ a bipartisan approach in the process of formulating policies. We also support the proposal of the Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat to set up a Special Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee consisting of government MPs, the opposition and members of the Senate. Press Statement in Malay.

REFSA's Adviser, Wan Hamidi Hamid expresses support for Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur Pakatan Harapan Members of Parliament’s statement proposing for a Kuala Lumpur 2024 Bipartisan Committee. The idea is a good place to start the conversation about our capital city’s future.