20th day of MCO (6.4.2020)

The number of new Covid-19 cases today dropped to 131, taking the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 3,793.The death increased by 1 to a total of 62.If it is an indication of the beginning of a downward trend it would be happy news. However it is too early to interpret this decrease in cases for today, but we may be seeing the positive outcome of our efforts despite the initial fumble. 

Today after much pressure from the people in the social media, the PM Tan Sri Muhyddin unveiled another additional RM10 billion stimulus package mainly to support the SMEs in this pandemic. Is it a sign that the PM is beginning to heed the calls of the people? We would like to believe so but from the recent political events it does not support that believe.

  

After 20 days with the MCO, the forefront fighters are getting worn out. Some of them work long hours, night after night in incomplete protective attire and non-conducive environment. The supportive services, like transport, food delivery, police, courts and even prisons are running into more problems. The people enclosed in the homes are becoming more uncomfortable, uneasy and fearful of the uncertainties about their jobs, their salary and about their children and their ailing elders in the family. 

To make matters worse, there many returning home from overseas, new spikes in hotspot areas and now illegal immigrants from infected areas. It looks like there is a high possibility the MCO may have to be extended. If this happens it will have a serious consequence on the economy and the wellbeing of everyone. Loss of jobs, poverty, food, health issues and social and psychological stress of staying together encaged, would be major problems that may go beyond control.

  

The political leadership and the government should do more, to address these issues with great urgency, fairly and with great wisdom. On our part we must cooperate fully with the authorities. This fight we are involved in concerns every citizen, we must all rise above all our differences and unite to win this battle as fast as we can.

19th day of MC0(5.4.2020)

The latest Covid- 19 figures indicates that the pandemic is still far from control. Today there were 179 new cases bringing the total to 3,662 and deaths to 61. 

What is worrying is the continuous steady increase in infection and deaths and also the spikes in scattered regions.Now the detention of MCO breachers in prisons may become another problem. Equally worrying is the large numbers of Malaysians returning from abroad. 

Looks like if the present trend continues, which is highly likely, the MCO may have to be extended much to the dislike of all.This will have a serious adverse effect on the economy and the wellbeing of everyone. Loss of jobs,poverty, food,health issues and psychosocial problems of staying enclosed would be major problems that may get out of hand.

  

The government and the political leadership should do more, to address these issues with urgency,fairly and with great wisdom.

Lessons from Covid-19

Covid-19 - The humbling experience

 

The Covid-19 pandemic worldwide including our country is taking us through some painful but humbling experience like never before. We have may made great strides from the primitive caveman to the present modern, sophisticated and civilized man. In the process we have achieved so much with our knowledge and technology. Today we have mastered the means to make sophisticated machinery and weapons, build skyscraping buildings, cruise the globe in sophisticated planes and luxury ships, we have reached the highest peaks and the deepest oceans and even reached distant planets in our high-tech rockets and spaceships. Yes, we managed to become the mightiest species on this planet. The earth which we came in as guests we are now the masters, or at least we think we are.

In the process we fought one another conquering vast lands and making others our slaves. We destroyed hills and mountains, we polluted the land and the sea. We destroyed fellow creatures on this planet. Yes, we committed many more atrocities and made ourselves the masters of the world. Despite the many warnings sent by Mother Nature to remind us we are just her guests, we refused to heed and continued to go on a carnage to destroy what is not ours.

Suddenly this one virus, Covid-19, brought people all over, including the rich and powerful nations, to their knees. It has made us realize that we are nothing compared to the forces of Nature. It has leashed widespread destruction of man and caused the collapse of all that he had achieved. This ultra-microscopic enemy continues to rage through the world, one country after another, to inflict fear in the hearts of man. Despite all the powerful weapons at our disposal, we stands helpless as none can destroy the invisible enemy.

In this assault by the Covid-19, it sends us an important message that money, wealth and power are useless against the enemy as it cannot be bought or destroyed with the most sophisticated weapons. Selfishness and greed takes you nowhere. Race, creed and culture are no barriers to its attack. Everyone from the highest to the lowest are not spared in this attack by Covid-19.

The fight against this new enemy can only be won by the good old gold standards we were known for as Malaysians; Unity of the people of all races, willingness to cooperate with one another, consideration for each other, willing to reach out to those affected and empathy for those in pain and dying in the hospitals. These are our lost values that resurfaces to remind us of their preciousness.

In short it is our willingness to transcend race and creed, to accept everyone as equal fellow citizens and unite as one race, Malaysian, to fight this invisible enemy that will bring us victory. From our experience we know these are the most difficult criteria to meet by our government and people. There are scattered calls for the return of these values that kept us together, but will our bloated human super ego ever permit us to humble ourselves to unite?

After the pandemic storm is finally over and we pick up the pieces and reorganize our lives, we should realize folly of our mentally; we are more superior and can control the universe and do to Nature as we please. However Covid-19 has come along to tell us no matter who we are, no matter how much worldly possession and power we have, we actually have no control over the Universe. We can never be masters only guests of  Mother Earth, so let us at least be good guests.