Human Rights Watch (HRW) deputy Asia director Phil Robertson took the Perikatan Nasional government to task for what he claimed as the ruling coalition's missteps which had resulted in a sharp rise of Covid-19 cases before the declaration of emergency.

Robertson said the Malaysian government's failure when it came to migrant workers' health is among the reasons why the country is in such a dire situation now.

"The Malaysian government made an early mistake, you know. Originally, the government encouraged the migrant workers (to come forward) to be tested...