Health, economy among six main clusters for smooth emergency management

PUTRAJAYA: The health cluster and the economy cluster are among six main clusters to be focused on by the government following the establishment of the Emergency Management Technical Committee yesterday.

The Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali said the creation of the six clusters was aimed at coordinating all agencies and ministries involved in ensuring the management of the Emergency throughout the country would run smoothly.

“The four other clusters are security, education, communication as well as federal and state relations,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama at his office here today.

Elaborating further, Mohd Zuki said the economy cluster would be responsible for evaluating and recommending national policies and strategies during the Emergency to ensure stability and boost investor confidence.

The health cluster would evaluate and recommend policies and strategies related to public health throughout the Emergency, including the smooth preparation of public health services, adequate supply of medicine and blood, in addition to COVID-19 and the temporary acquisition of assets for health service purposes.

For the security cluster, Mohd Zuki said it would evaluate and recommend national security strategies during the Emergency to maintain, protect and defend the country’s core values including assessing the acts required for temporary enforcement and the temporary acquisition of assets for security purposes.

“For the education cluster, it will evaluate and recommend primary, secondary and tertiary education policies and strategies during the Emergency especially involving education access, examinations and student movement,” he said.

Touching on the communication cluster, Mohd Zuki said it would disseminate accurate information regarding the Emergency to Malaysians in addition to analysing their views throughout the Emergency.

For the federal and state relations cluster, it will coordinate relations between the federal and state governments, especially regarding the coordination and use of state ordinance and enactments, he added.

“It must be stated that during the Emergency, state governments function as usual. Only some temporary powers under the Yang di-Pertuan Agong which involve the temporary acquisition of assets as well as buildings or movable property as stated previously,” he said.

Mohd Zuki explained that all members and parties in the six clusters have conducted meetings and carried out their duties that require immediate attention to mitigate side effects if action was delayed, especially to curb the spread of COVID-19.

pTherefore, he said that the country’s administration was not affected by the proclamation of Emergency because the service sector, both public and private, will carry on as usual according to the standard operating procedures set in addition to complying with the Movement Control Order (MCO).

“The important thing is that government services are not affected. This is important to the people and investors so that they understand the message, including why the Emergency was declared.

“Even though the MCO was in effect, the number of cases was still too high. That is why it is important for Malaysians to understand and obey the Emergency Ordinance announced so that it can be implemented as best as possible,” he said.

The government yesterday agreed to establish an Emergency Management Technical Committee to ensure the management of the Emergency throughout the country would be run smoothly, said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The committee would be jointly chaired by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan and the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali.

The technical committee will, among others, be responsible for monitoring issues relating to the implementation and management of the Emergency as well as to recommend solutions.

The committee also has the role of coordinating emergency management with relevant parties at federal and state levels apart from heading the monitoring and inspection of the enforcement of emergency law at all levels.

The Prime Minister said the eight-member committee included the director-general of Public Service Department, secretary-general of the Treasury, Attorney-General, Chief of Defence Forces, Inspector-General of Police, Health director-general, MKN director-general and cluster chiefs.

-- BERNAMA