KUALA LUMPUR: Stabilising the Covid-19 situation in the country should be prioritised before a general election is held, says Khairy Jamaluddin.

       The Health Minister said the country should wait at least a few months after April 1, when Malaysia starts transitioning into the endemic phase.

       “The general election is something that we can put on hold first until the public health situation stabilises,” he said at a press conference on the sidelines of the Umno general assembly here.

       Khairy, who is also Rembau Umno deputy chief, noted the country would be reopening its borders on April 1, followed by more easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

       “There will also be more relaxations from April 1 onwards. We have the Hari Raya festivities coming up. People will congregate for terawih prayers.

       “We want to see in the next few months if the reopening results in an increase in Covid-19 infections.

       “An increase in Covid-19 cases is okay, but we do not want a hike in hospital admissions,” he said.

       Khairy said the ministry was also monitoring potential local emergence of the Omicron variant, which had caused the Covid-19 numbers in Europe to rise.

       “We do not know if we will have to deal with new Covid-19 variants but this is something the ministry is monitoring.

       “In Europe and the United Kingdom, we saw their infections go down, but it is rising again,” he said.

       He noted that Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the decision on whether to call for a snap general election was in the hands of Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

       “In his presidential address, he pointed out that even though the grassroots want GE15 to be held early, it is up to the Prime Minister. I think it is the right thing to do.

       “Surely, the Prime Minister will consider all views, not just the country’s recovery plan, but also the ongoing plans for institutional reforms. I believe he will also hear the views of the Health Ministry on public health concerns,” he said.

       There have been many calls during the Umno general assembly from leaders and delegates for GE15 to be expedited, even though the current Parliament term only expires in June 2023.