THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL – PARLIAMENT WON’T BE REOPENED IN MAY: MUHYIDDIN & CO PUSH FOR ‘LOCKDOWN’ EXTENSION BEHIND THE SCENES – GROUPS EMERGE TO CALL FOR ‘EXTENSION BEYOND HARI RAYA’

 PUTRAJAYA, 11 Mac -- Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin bergambar bersama jemaah menteri sebelum mesyuarat kabinet pertama kerajaan baharu di Bangunan Perdana Putra hari ini. --fotoBERNAMA (2020) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA PUTRAJAYA, March 11 -- Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin poses with a cabinet ministers before the first new cabinet meeting at the Perdana Putra today. --fotoBERNAMA (2020) COPYRIGHTS RESERVED

An online poll by the National Security Council to gauge the public’s opinion on whether the movement control order (MCO) should be extended further has returned with overwhelming support for its extension.

Conducted on its official Telegram channel, the poll that was started since midnight today has garnered over 200,000 responses.

“Do you think it is reasonable for the MCO to be extended beyond April 14, 2020?” says the ‘Yes or No’ question posted in the channel, which so far has over 1.1 million subscribers.

As of 11.30am today, the poll shows that 88 percent of 216,389 respondents have voted for ‘Yes’.

The MCO was introduced by the government last month due to the Covid-19 outbreak, with the aim to break the chain of infection and allow healthcare services to focus on detecting positive cases so that they can be isolated and treated.

It was initially set for two weeks between March 18 and March 31, but had since been extended for another two-week phase until April 14.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah had reportedly told the media that the first phase of MCO had shown positive signs, with the number of new positive cases daily able to be kept below 200 and thus preventing exponential spikes that could overwhelm healthcare facilities nationwide.

Yesterday, he said that so far, they have neither won nor lost the war against Covid-19 and the Health Ministry would propose several options for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his cabinet to decide on the MCO.

As of noon yesterday, Malaysia has recorded a total of 4,119 positive cases, with 65 deaths. From the total number of positive cases, 1,487 or 36.1 percent have fully recovered and discharged from the hospital.

Extending the MCO has also been mooted by a medical professional body, which warned about the danger of the ‘balik kampung’ exodus during the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations next month.

The Academy of Medicine of Malaysia said it could spread the disease further, especially to the elderly, and there would be a failure of social distancing as travellers crowd into rest and recuperation stops along highways.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces headquarters has also started a similar poll through its Twitter account @markasATM this morning.

The poll question focused on the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri next month, and suggested that the MCO should be extended until its one-month celebration ends in June.

“Massive ‘balik kampung’ crowd can worsen the spread of Covid-19. It has been suggested that the MCO should be extended until the end of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

“If not, all the efforts by the government would not work out. The virus would continue to spread,” says the poll.

As of 11.30am, about an hour after the poll was posted, it has received 290 responses, of which 94.2 percent voted in support of the extension. – MKINI

Extend MCO beyond Hari Raya, doctors’ group urges gov’t

The Academy of Medicine of Malaysia has urged the government to extend the movement control order (MCO) beyond Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.

It warned that a balik kampung exodus could spread the disease further, especially to the elderly, and there would be a failure of social distancing as travellers crowd into rest and recuperation stops along highways.

“A premature withdrawal or excessive relaxation of MCO restrictions will potentially undo all the good that has been achieved from staying home these past four weeks.

“The war against Covid-19 is far from over – many sacrifices have and will continue to be made this year,” the professional body said in a statement last night.

It said that while many would understandably wish to travel and spend time with relatives during Hari Raya, the events this year are unprecedented.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has made it necessary for social distancing to be the new norm for at least a period of time until the situation is well under control…

“Responsible behaviour in adhering to social distancing measures is required of everyone until a vaccine is made available.

“For this year at least, be it Ramadan, Aidilfitri or even Haj gatherings – there is a need for control, monitoring and possible banning of these gatherings,” the academy said.

MCO extension? Health Ministry to provide data

The current Phase Two of the order is set to expire at the end of April 14. The Health Ministry is expected to provide data on April 10 for the government to decide whether to extend the order.

Meanwhile, Hari Raya is expected to fall on May 24, but the academy noted that other festivities, such as Harvest Festival (May 30 in Sabah) and Hari Gawai (June 1 in Sarawak), will follow soon after.

Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the ministry would propose several options for the cabinet to decide, while senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said any relaxation of the order’s restrictions would likely be based on the number of cases in each district.

Should the MCO be extended, the academy said, the government should redouble its efforts to soften the blow of the pandemic’s socio-economic impact on the nation.

“We are cognisant that this pandemic has and will continue to have major negative impacts on all aspects of the Malaysian economy, which is why robust whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches are needed,” it said. – MKINI

MKINI