What next for Covid-19 wrecked Malaysia?

 

Over the past 275 days, Malaysians have had time for little else except the virus. Covid-19 has made sure of it.

We do not know what the next course of the virus will be, but we know the horror will persist. Are we prepared?

The biggest obstacle to preparedness is us. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said: “Short-term self-interest is simply not sufficient.”

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom stressed a basic principle of public health: “No individual alone can protect themselves from an outbreak and no nation can act alone in a pandemic.”

Accountability is crucial. Responsible leadership and good citizenship have been key determinants of Covid-19’s impact, a WHO report notes, underscoring that “systems are only as effective as the people who use them”.

Has the trust in government-community relationship for better health in Malaysia dissipated? Have the government and leaders delivered on their commitments?

There appears to be no clear strategy on how to return life to normal, giving rise to speculation about the curse of indifference.

On Wednesday, after three waves, Malaysia recorded more Covid-19 cases than China – the suspected source of the disease – and might just hit the 100,000 mark before the year ends.

The number of cases, while still tiny by western standards, is soaring. Daily infections in four digits have been recorded over the past two weeks.

With the strictest limits on public life since the Second World War, Malaysia, like the rest of the world, is at war.

The virus has thrashed economic activity, frozen international travel and isolated half of humanity to their homes, infecting millions – and counting.

Malaysia went into lockdown on March 18, the week the world shut down. All we had was the moment before us. Confusion reigned, fuelled by mixed messages about public gatherings, travel and self-isolation.

Politics wasn’t working. Disillusioned citizens felt the way the pandemic was managed could cause unpredictable and irreparable social damage.

At this uniquely stressful moment, most leaders knew little about how to steer the country through the nightmare.

Waist-deep in chaos, questions remain, such as how to live safely with Covid-19 and the prospects for a vaccine.

The virus, which in December 2019 struck Wuhan, China, and initially seemed to be somebody else’s problem, mocked assumptions.

It challenged our simplest routines. The luxuries of camaraderie – laughter, singing and cheering – were stolen from us.

People had to keep masks on, keep their distance and stay away from grandpa and grandma.

Being cooped up at home and that occasional trip to get groceries brought the spectre of unfamiliar peril. Malaysia had entered a new era, confronting a disease the world still barely understands, and implementing unimaginable emergency policies.

From when the virus emerged in China and spread worldwide to the recent release of vaccines for Covid-19, it has been an extraordinary year globally.

If Malaysians have not worked out what’s going on by now, then there’s no hope the virus can be contained.

Between the economy and the Covid-19 mayhem, a segment of society wants a chance to approach life with clarity and prefers that the authorities seize control of the pandemic first.

The return to normality is a long way off. The number of people sticking to rules has been on the decline. Confusion, loss of patience, fatigue, boredom, pessimism, and annoyance with politicians have all played a part.

How could one not be confused with the ruling this week that the wearing of face masks is only compulsory in crowded public places?

Haven’t we been reminded repeatedly to wear the mask as long as we are outside to mitigate the situation with proper health controls? After nine months of living with Covid-19, are we as scared as we used to be?

When politicians become rule-benders, herd mentality follows and makes it hard to alter the course of this disease. The belief that official guidelines do not apply to everyone equally has only caused anger.

That the government has done several U-turns hasn’t helped deflect the notion that only “little people” have to abide by the rules while the privileged few in power need not.

Two Malaysias are on display now: One taking caution to mean fear and repression; the other, while also tired of restrictions, steadfast in respect of rules.

At the start of the pandemic, we were scared and compliant. We stayed indoors, kept apart, wore masks, washed our hands frequently and sprayed surfaces with disinfectant.

Today, you see far more people crowding shopping centres, shops and outdoor eateries. Everyone is close together with complete strangers.

Sure, there are those who obediently keep to the basic rules even as restaurant owners admit they have no idea if the contact details given by their customers are correct.

They have no clue if the people sitting around a table are related or just stressed over bad news, rising unemployment or business closures.

The bunkum of holding the Sabah elections in September has been a sore point: it is generally felt that the elections greatly ramped up transmission of the virus at precisely the time Malaysia should have been locking down tightly.

The recent reasoning by Senior Minister (Security) Ismail Sabri that people be allowed to move freely as “Covid-19 will always be around us like dengue” is arguable.

It’s a tall order to expect everyone to be disciplined and practise self-control. Relaxed control measures, a waning risk perception and the desire to return to normalcy have led to carefree behaviours.

Throwing caution to the wind, social and workplace interactions take place often in confined, close contact and crowded settings, risking a wider spread of the virus.

While reviving the economy and communities, the government has been urged to explore more sustainable and targeted response models that proactively work to suppress new Covid-19 outbreaks.

Instead, the authorities seem to be taking a reactive approach to outbreaks and repeating lockdowns.

We don’t want a throwback to the days when cities and towns fell quiet, and people stared out of windows and sought permission to leave homes.

It’s a dream now, but we want sports back in full force and the deserted nightspots, cafes, restaurants and bars to heave again.

We want to see musicians rocking again in the live circuit, to attend weddings and funerals of loved ones, and go on holidays.

We long for reunions to embrace our family, laugh with friends, sing in choirs and cheer our teams.

As it is, many are bracing for a silent night this Christmas as they will not be getting together as a family for the occasion. Similarly, New Year will be like no other.

Few will recall 2020 with fondness. Hope for a brighter 2021 is all we have.

Covid-19 will be with us until a substantial portion of the population has been vaccinated. Until then, we can expect more rules – and rule-benders.

Will we continue living in a dystopia? - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.