COVID: Don't be complacent with drop in new cases - PM Ismail Sabri

He said everyone should be aware that Malaysia is still not safe from COVID-19 though new daily infections had been brought down through various methods including vaccination and the enforcement of the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO).

"There were hundreds of cases reporterd when the first MCO was announced and I had promised the people that when business activities were allowed to reopen, we will not close them again. To ensure that MCO will not be reintroduced, we must comply with the SOP (standard operating procedures).

"The government has promised that there will be no more MCO like before but if there is a sudden surge and increasing number of cases due to this new variant, it may be difficult for us to maintain this situation," he said when officiating the Bera UMNO Division Delegates Meeting, here, today.

He said compliance with the SOP, especially wearing face masks and avoiding congested areas must continue to be practiced, particularly after the second case of the Omicron variant was reported in Malaysia recently.

Ismail Sabri said Malaysia must also learn from the experience of foreign countries that had almost succeeded in curbing the spread of COVID-19, but eventually new cases and deaths increased due to non-compliance with SOP.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri who is also UMNO vice-president said political stability was important for the country's economy to recover from the impact of COVID-19 which had also affected foreign investments in Malaysia.

Due to that, the Prime Minister said he has made political stability as part of his three main agendas after taking over the country's administration which also saw a meeting with opposition leaders being held to reach understanding to provide enough space for him to combat COVID-19 and restore economy.

"Previously, we saw how the situation in Parliament was. It was like a war from the beginning to the end in addition to attacks through the media. After reaching an understanding with the opposition although not all, the situation is better even though the war of words is still going on.

"It is more controlled and I told them as the leader of the country, I need a productive and non-emotional opposition in giving views to provide check and balance," he said.

In his speech, Ismail Sabri said UMNO should accept Malay non-governmental organisations as its associate members to ensure that the party's role in uniting the Malays can be clearly felt and seen.

He said UMNO should also continue to play its role in uniting the Malays with other races in the country as what had been started by the previous leadership through the establishment of Parti Perikatan which is now known as Barisan Nasional.

Ismail Sabri also hoped that ties between UMNO and PAS in Bera would remain strong and despite the harsh statement issued by the top leaders of the two parties, priority should be given to unite the Malay Muslims and Bumiputera.

The party leadership in Bera was also reminded to continue to remain approachable, including among young voters to ensure victory in the coming general election.