INSIDE page There will be no publication tomorrow. Prepare for 4 We will be back on Monday. TELLING IT AS IT IS the worst: Please visit thesundaily.my for the MMA chief latest news. ON THURSDAY DECEMBER 31, 2020 No. 7692 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my ALL SET TO PARTY ... People play with confetti as New Year’s Eve organisers test the air worthiness of confetti from the Hard Rock Cafe Marquee in Times Square on Dec 29 in New York City. The 907kg of confetti to be released on New Year’s Eve will include thousands of wishes from individuals who have submitted them at the New Year’s Eve Wishing Wall. – AFPPIX Annus horribilis █ BY EDDIE HOO AND YEOH GUAN JIN [email protected] o2020 is a year everyone wants to forget T was a year to remember - for all the wrong reasons. A public health crisis swept crippled, if not killed, the tourism sector. It has across the globe, leaving close to 80 million TELLING IT AS IT IS been estimated that potential earnings of up to people infected and nearly two million RM45 billion has been lost. Other sectors were Ikilled by a virus against which humankind has Says ... similarly, if not more severely, affected. yet to find a defence. Graphics_1 > Graphics Logos >The Sun Masthead .ai Workers are seeing their salaries halved, and Those who survive continue to grapple with anyway remain pervasive. they are the lucky ones. Hundreds of thousands an economy that has been choked almost to Also on the political front, a changing of the of others have already lost their only means to death, and unemployment rates that have guard without a single popular vote being cast make ends meet. soared above the clouds. ushered in a new administration. Just as taxing were the spate of water Saying that life changed forever in the blink As Malaysians diligently tracked the tally of disruptions in the Klang Valley - the nerve of an eye in 2020 would be an understatement new Covid-19 cases daily, one politician centre of commerce and political power for the for the ages. repeated his years-old claim that he actually country. GEN NEXT But while people grappled with the had the numbers. These were not the result of any inadequacy challenge of putting food on the table, On the subject of numbers again, a survey in the water supply infrastructure. politicians schemed - for more power and even conducted by recruitment agency JobStreet On almost every occasion, the New kid page more money. revealed that one in five working Malaysians culprits were factory workers Turn to To the credit of our justice system, some have has lost his job in the economic fallout of wantonly discharging industrial — on the been brought to answer for their misdeeds, but Covid-19. waste into the rivers - the source page 3 18 fears that they will eventually be let off the hook The closing of our borders effectively of our water supply. block 2 theSUN ON THURSDAY | DECEMBER 31, 2020 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Dramatic change of guard Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, would therefore continue as prime minister in otheSun recounts what could be described as an pending the naming of a successor. the PH government. In an unprecedented move, However, later in the day, the King named ‘unorthodox’ year for politics in Malaysia the King met all 222 MPs to Muhyiddin as Malaysia’s eighth prime minister determine who had the on the grounds that he could muster the majority in the Dewan Rakyat. support of the majority of lawmakers. THE main political event of 2020 in Malaysia Events first unfolded on Feb Meanwhile, Mahathir After nightfall, Anwar claimed PH still had was undoubtedly, the fall of the Pakatan 21, culminating in the proposed a unity government 114 lawmakers on its side, and were backing Harapan (PH) government. “Sheraton Move” two days with him at the helm while Mahathir. At the same time, about 200 people It underscored the resilience of Umno, long later, that saw the beginning of Anwar expressed opposition to gathered in central Kuala Lumpur to protest the the dominant political party in Malaysia, as the end for the PH a “backdoor government”. formation of a “backdoor government”. much as it underlined the lack of viability of a administration. Istana Negara then announced On March 1, Mahathir announced that he coalition with little compatibility among its Several political meetings were that the King was not convinced that would seek an urgent session in Parliament to components. held, fuelling talk of the formation of a any parliamentarian commanded challenge Muhyiddin’s claim to the While Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia new alliance that would include Umno. sufficient support in the Dewan Rakyat to form premiership, but also conceded that it could be (Bersatu) president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is On the same night, prime-minister-in- a new government. However, the palace said it a futile exercise. now in the driver’s seat as prime minister, waiting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim claimed that would continue to engage with political leaders He alleged that Muhyiddin had been Umno is the party with the highest number of some of his party colleagues were planning to to see if anyone could muster enough support plotting “for a long time” to take the seats in the Dewan Rakyat, making it the single bring down the government to deny him the to become prime minister. premiership and wondered aloud if a most powerful political group in the nation’s top job. Members of Bersatu then nominated government involving components of Barisan government. On Feb 24, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad Muhyiddin for the post, with Umno and PAS, Nasional would be ready to pursue graft The outcome of the 14th general election on announced his resignation as the nation’s and several MPs who had left PKR, promising to charges against its politicians. May 9, 2018 was unprecedented. But victory for seventh prime minister but was quickly give him their full support. The political drama ended on the same day, PH quickly turned sour, and with it went the appointed interim premier by the Yang On Feb 29, Mahathir announced that he still with Muhyiddin sworn in as Malaysia’s eighth “New Malaysia”. DiPertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah had majority support in the Dewan Rakyat and prime minister. Vernacular Hopes and dreams for 2021 press digest kWITHOUT exception, everyone will be relieved to see the back of Year 2020. A year that began with so much hope has ended with anguish for so many. Whether Resolve shortage of 2021 will be a better year is left to be seen. While most of us continue to anticipate Chinese school the worst, we cannot help but harbour hopes for the best. theSun spoke to several teachers, govt urged newsmakers for their take on what is to come and what they hope to see. █ BY KONG SEE HOH [email protected] “I want all children, regardless of race, national- “I have two wishes for DONG Jiao Zong (DJZ) has urged the Education Ministry to show sincerity in finding a ity, gender or religion to be safe and happy. My Year 2021 – for football permanent solution to the perennial shortage of teachers in Chinese primary schools. hopes are that there is enough food on the table, to make a comeback Pointing out that the problem has affected a roof over their heads, that they have access to and for the world to be Chinese primary school “frontline workers” year after year, thus undermining pupils’ learning education and no fear of detention. I want to see free of Covid-19. Until process, the umbrella body for Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association) them free of discrimination and any form of then, stay safe and and Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Teachers healthy, everyone.” Association) said it is time the ministry resolved violence. My hope is that sick children are not it once and for all, the Chinese press reported refused immediate treatment and that expectant – TAN CHENG HOE, national football coach yesterday. In a statement on Tuesday, DJZ took mothers are able to deliver their babies without stress. I want to see their exception to the fact that the ministry had always underestimated the number of full-time babies inoculated against diseases. I want to see an end to discrimination “My wish is for everyone to stay healthy. Year and temporary teachers needed for Chinese primary schools, resulting in a shortage of against non-Malaysian children who are poor and marginalised. I want 2020 has been tough for everyone, and we all teaching staff for these school at the start of an end to child marriages and better access to school for all children.” every school year. want Covid-19 out of our lives for good. I also These discrepancies have to be sorted out, it – DR HARTININ ZAINUDIN, child activist wish that badminton will restart well in said, and called for a short-term solution to meet the immediate needs as well as a long-term plan January, and for our Malaysian players to do to address the issue. “As a solution for the short term, the “We hope the “My hope well.” – LEE CHONG WEI, former world #1 Education Ministry should speed up the posting government will shuttler and Malaysian icon of newly trained as well as temporary teachers is that we to schools, including 681 graduate teachers who look into expanding get closer received their scrolls in June this year and the 21 public healthcare to ending temporary teachers who passed their interviews through the creation “I hope and pray that 2021 will be a much recently.