KOTA KINABALU: A former Sabah Chief Minister has called on political leaders from all parties in the country to stop their play of high drama and power grabs.
Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, who is also Sabah Progressive Party president, said that the country is already suffering economically due to the outbreak of Covid-19.
The political unrest, which began on Sunday, has further impacted the economy, he said.
Yong said that the rakyat are now suffering and struggling to make ends meet.
“The economy was hit hard again when the KL Composite Index fell due to the latest political turmoil at the national level.
“It is expected that more investors will leave the country. Domestic investment will be put on hold until the political mess is sorted out.
“The leaders should bring a quick end to the political game play so that everyone can focus on reviving the economy and create better livelihoods for ordinary people,” he said in a statement.
If the current political impasse continues, Yong said that the rakyat would want to their donations back from Tabung Harapan.
Tabung Harapan was set up by the federal government in 2018 to solicit donations from the public to help pay for the national debt.
Meanwhile, Yong gave a thumbs-up to interim Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for going ahead with the announcement of an economic stimulus package today, despite the political turmoil.
He said that the rakyat, especially the business community, look forward to positive news as the economic package is expected to be announced at 4pm today.
The package of measures aims to address the negative impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on the economy.