Comment by Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) President Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh
Wong Soon Koh
The first Covid-19 cases in Malaysia were detected among travellers from China on Jan 25, 2020 and the first local Malaysian case confirmed on Feb 4, 2020.
The first spike in cases occurred in March 2020 mostly from a cluster linked to a Tablighi Jama’at religious gathering in Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur.
In response, the Federal Government imposed a nationwide lockdown under Movement Control Order (MCO) from March 18, 2020 to May 3, 2020.
Since then until September 2020, Malaysia seemed to be doing well compared to most other countries in controlling the Covid-19 pandemic.
In fact, by early May 2020, these MCO lockdowns had led to a gradual decline in daily infections.
Then, in response to this improving situation, the Government progressively started to relax lockdown restrictions in various phases; starting with the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) on May 4, 2020, followed by the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) on June 10, 2020.
The Government had planned to end RMCO at end August 2020 but because of the continuous detection of imported cases, the restrictions were extended until the end of 2020.
Unfortunately, in September 2020 and inspite of aggravating Covid-19 cases, the Sabah Legislative Assembly was prematurely dissolved (after only twenty-eight months in government) due to several YBs who jumped ship, led by Tan Sri Musa Aman the immediate former Chief Minister.
The September Sabah state election brought about a drastic spike during the free mingling of politicians, their supporters and voters in the two-week campaign period.
As a result, the Government reinstated CMCO and RMCO restrictions in most states due to continuous sharp rises in cases continuing toward the end of 2020.
By January 2021, the level of new Covid-19 cases was nearing critical levels leading to the re-introduction of MCO in most parts of Malaysia.
An Emergency Act was finally agreed by the Agong and took effect from Jan 11, 2021 until Aug 1, 2021, citing that the Emergency Act was necessary to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
Not surprisingly, another drastic spike in Covid-19 cases occurred after Ramadan and Hari Raya festive activities from May 12.
By the end of May 2021, the average daily new Covid-19 cases per million in Malaysia had exceeded India, Indonesia and even Cambodia.
As of May 19, 2021, Malaysia has a total of 558,534 cases and a death toll of 2,650.
Meanwhile, it is reported that the Federal Government has also injected or committed RM 65 billion to resist the spread of Covid-19 and provide financial assistance to the people and the economic sector in hardship.
However, in view of the exponential increase in Covid-19 cases by end of May 2021, the Government has to impose another total lockdown and another financial package to mitigate the impact of increasing Covid-19 cases at alarming rates approaching critical level.
Sarawak is doing no better
Despite a high powered SDMC and all out efforts by the front liners, Sarawak is doing no better; ranking number two behind Selangor as having among the highest number per population of new cases of Covid-19 detected.
As at May29, 2021, Sarawak registered 729 new cases a day, with a total of 42,162 cases, 726 PUIs and 280 fatalities.
The first spike of cases in Sarawak can attribute to SDMC mistakenly allowing longhouses in Sibu designated as home quarantine or isolation premises for those returning from high-risk areas in Peninsula Malaysia and Sabah; not realising that longhouses are community based characterised with inherent family and neighbour in social and non-social gatherings.
It was even reported that positive cases were released to go home after a lapse of 10 days quarantine without another negative test before leaving the quarantine centres.
The Pasai Siong cluster in Sibu, first reported on Jan 9, 2021, should serve as a lesson on why longhouses should not be used as quarantine centres. The cluster occurred when the index case who returned from Johor to attend a relative’s funeral underwent the mandatory quarantine period in a longhouse. The Pasai Siong cluster had infected six generations, involving 58 longhouses, with 2,363 positive cases detected from 25,500 screenings, and 29 deaths by February 2021.
Added to these loose implementations, the public is confused by many chaotic versions of SOP from the Federal and Sarawak Governments.
Apart from being confusing, it is also disappointing to see that there are varying standards of SOP; for example, political leaders and VIPs were allowed to practice or behave differently, allowing mingling of people in general elections and relaxation of SOP for festive occasions just to name the major ones.
So what now?
There are only two ingredients which matter in combating and mitigating the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic; namely:
1. Isolation; and
2. Vaccination
Isolation
Covid-19 virus spreads through nose and mouth fluid droplets and close contact as a means to enter human via mouth and nose.
It is well established that social distancing, personal hygiene especially in washing hands and wearing masks are the most basic and effective measures to resist the spread of Covid-19 virus between humans.
These measures are generally defined as isolation or quarantine in severe definition.
It is also well established that social gatherings during religious, festive, funeral, wedding and any other living activities of likewise events involving close contacts and any political gatherings and functions among others are the most rampant infectious activities and yet are the most difficult to administer unless the Government is responsive and decisive in enforcing preventive SOP.
Yet instead, in spite of vigorous efforts by front liners and conscientious citizens, the Government practices “start stop” approach and half-hearted measures including the worst in allowing general election and festive gatherings and poor implementation.
Literally, the Government apply MCO and lockdown when cases rise and relax when new cases are declining while vaccinations are at snail pace.
Prolonged or repeated MCO induces close down of economic activities, affects employment and results in bankruptcy among the peoples and even the nation.
The Government should be commended for rolling out financial packages involving huge financial aids to the lower income group.
But let’s face it, financial packages do not reduce the spread of Covid-19 virus.
Instead, financial packages are only partially mitigating side effects of isolation.
The recent announcement by YAB Abang Jo of RM1.6 billion amiable financial package is also only temporarily providing Panadol effect particularly for the B40 group.
Unless the Federal Government and the GPS Government realise that the economic sector can continue to employ people, the short term charitable financial package will have to continue without economic productivity leading eventually to economic collapse and bankruptcy.
Vaccination
It is a well known fact that unless the general population are mostly vaccinated, the Covid-19 virus will continue to spread vigorously unless we continue with isolation lockdown.
Given the severity of side effects from prolonged isolation lockdown, it is absolutely necessary to carry out vaccination of the whole population as soon as possible so that we can do away with isolation lockdown and resume full economic activities.
In China, the nation is achieving 15 million vaccination per day. In Malaysia (including Sarawak) we are achieving only an average of 75,000 doses per day since the end of May 2021. At this rate, Malaysia would need nearly two and a half years to complete the vaccination of its population.
And where are the vaccines?
This is totally unacceptable!
So, what happened and what went wrong?
As it is, there are many claims or allegations which only cause the people to doubt and lose confidence in the government efforts in combating Covid-19 pandemic.
After all, one cannot blame the people because the situation is getting worse and dragging with no light in sight.
We call on the government to be fully transparent in managing the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.
We call on the government to allow direct acquisition of vaccines from suppliers or manufacturers.
We call on the government to employ all health bodies including private hospitals and clinics to administer the vaccination like a normal patient seeking medical attention.
We call on the government to establish unambiguous and strict SOPs to allow economic entities to continue operation and at the same time also to extend financial assistance packages, including for SMEs, for the continuous employment of workers and thus protecting the livelihood of the people.
We call on the government not to practice double standards and “flip flop” policies in the implementation of SOPs.
For PSB, we are most willing and prepared to put our political differences aside and work in unison with SDMC and the government in combating this Covid-19 pandemic.
For the sake of the peoples and the nation, we plead with the Federal Government and the GPS Government to engage professionals and all stakeholders to combat this dreadful Covid-19 pandemic as a matter of urgency.