ALOR STAR: The Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah has called for all elected representatives and government agencies to be proactive in understanding the people's predicaments due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In expressing his concern over the impact of measurers undertaken by the government in managing the pandemic, the ruler called for the parties concerned to monitor the progress of programmes rolled to ease the people's burdens.
"I highly appreciate continuous efforts undertaken by the state government in implementing various strategies to manage the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I wish to remind all parties that we shall not let our guards down and feel satisfied, in wake of the emergence of the new Omicron variant which is highly transmissible.
"Hence, I am calling for all elected representative and government agencies to be more proactive in addressing the people's concerns and to monitor the progress of all programmes rolled out," he said when opening the first meeting of the fifth-term of the Kedah State Assembly here today.
Sultan Al Aminul Karim urged the state government to prioritise on rejuvenating the state tourism sector which had been severely affected by the pandemic outbreak two years ago.
"The tourism sector was among the worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The closure of our borders and implementation of movement restrictions have severely impacted this sector. Tourist arrivals to Kedah in 2021 had plunged by 71.5% as compared to 2020.
"As such, I hope the state government could prioritise on rejuvenating the tourism sector and to develop the domestic tourism sector in the entire state of Kedah to ensure the sustainability of this industry," he said.
The ruler also called on the state government to protect and preserve Kedah forests through sustainable forest management, while preserving and protecting potential Geopark sites.
"Excessive human disruptions on the nature and uncontrolled human activities that exploit natural resources for the sake of business interest, have led to the spike of disasters.
"The protection and the preservation of mother nature sustainability must be prioritised to preserve the ecosystem of various forms of flora and fauna, as stated in the Pillar 6 concerning environmental sustainability, under the Kedah 2035 Kedah Development Plan.
On the State Assembly meeting until Wednesday, the ruler urged elected representatives to practice democratic discourse in finding solutions to all issues raised in the House.
"Such maturity is what is expected by the people. The strength of unity is the pillar of a civilisation. Through strong unity, mutual understanding and togetherness as one family, we will be able to overcome all obstacles and challenges ahead," he said.
Sultan Al Aminul Karim also expressed his appreciation to all frontliners for their immense contributions in managing the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I wish to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the loyalty and sincere services rendered by all frontliners comprising healthcare workers, the Malaysian Armed Forces, the Royal Malaysian Police, civil servants and government agencies for their contributions, especially in managing the Covid-19 pandemic. Their contributions are immense and are 'beyond the call of duty'.
"I wish all the frontliners to remain committed, dedicated, and focused in executing their responsibilities while continue improving the quality of their services for the benefit of my subjects," he said.