Kuala Lumpur May 9 — DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng claims the government is practising double standards by instructing premises listed under the Hotspot Identification for Dynamic Engagement (HIDE) system to close for three days.
He said this follows the decision to allow all public transport stations and terminals listed as “potential hotspots” under HIDE to remain open, although business premises were required to close.
“There is no reason why shops with no Covid-19 cases must close, just because a nearby shop has Covid-19 cases.
“Muhyiddin Yassin is the worst Malaysian prime minister in history by ordering all locations listed under HIDE to close immediately for three days,” he said in a statement today.
The former finance minister described the government as being irresponsible in issuing this last-minute directive, without any consideration for the heavy financial losses that would be incurred by businesses, especially SMEs.
Prominent malls like 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Mid Valley Megamall and supermarkets have complied with the government’s latest directive, with their premises closed until Tuesday.
Aside from malls, busy transport terminals, convenience stores, markets and Ramadan bazaars were also among the 152 premises listed on the HIDE list.
“Perikatan Nasional continues to be in denial that its incompetence has made Malaysia the worst country in Asia-Pacific in per capita Covid-19 daily cases.
“States like Kelantan, Penang and Sarawak, that were previously green zones, have now become the new hotspots for infections.”
