Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming, in presenting the party’s position paper on proposed Covid-19 mitigation, said assemblymen and MPs must be given more room to help health officials identify hotspots in their constituencies and contain outbreaks.

The position paper also suggests ways that assemblymen and MPs can help health officials respond to the pandemic at the local level.

“Currently, it is not clear if state and federal elected representatives have clear and defined roles in fighting the pandemic.

“They should sit in at weekly meetings at the district office to report on the latest measures being taken to fight Covid-19 and any relevant statistics in terms of the localities where cases and clusters have been reported,” he told reporters during an online news conference today.

Ong also said DAP was proposing the opening of economic and social sectors gradually, but only if they fulfil certain criteria.

“Some sectors should be allowed to open based on their vaccination rate and with strict SOPs in place even if they are still under Phase 1 of the National Recovery Plan.

“What is essential and what is not cannot be easily defined, given the close linkages sectors have in the supply chain,” he added.

Meanwhile, party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said DAP came out with this position paper in view of the government’s failure in controlling the Covid-19 situation in the country.

“We need to learn to live with the virus within our community and lockdowns have proven to be ineffective in curbing the spread.

“It is the people who are suffering from these lockdowns,” he added.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR LIVE UPDATE OF THE COVID-19 SITUATION IN MALAYSIA