This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on March 18, 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: Chief Secretary to the Government Datuk Seri Mohd Zuki Ali has apologised for not inviting the leaders of Pakatan Harapan-ruled states to attend the special coordination meeting to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak yesterday.

Mohd Zuki said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had ordered that all menteri besar  (MBs) and chief ministers be invited without any exception.

As such, he apologised for causing confusion arising from inviting the MBs and chief ministers of only Perikatan Nasional-ruled states. For the other states — Pulau Pinang, Kedah, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Sabah — only the state development directors were invited.

Mohd Zuki said the prime minister viewed this matter seriously and had expressed his clear commitment to cooperate with all state governments regardless of political party background in the matter of national importance.

Muhyiddin, added the chief secretary, has issued a directive that all MBs and chief ministers be invited to attend special meetings addressing Covid-19 in future.

The Pakatan secretarial council had earlier issued a statement, saying their respective state chiefs were not invited to the special meeting yesterday.

“If it (the exclusion) was done only because they administer state governments not politically aligned with the current federal government, this shallow political action causes great loss to the people.

“It is common knowledge that the five states make up almost 40% of the Malaysian population, and the bulk of Covid-19 cases also happened in these states,” the council said.

The council asked Putrajaya to immediately call for a meeting with their respective state chiefs for the well-being and safety of the people in these states.