I wonder if the Covid-19 pandemic, getting worse by the day, is driving certain Malaysian authorities to do strange things.
Some of their actions could be shockingly out of sync with the current dire situation while others make you wonder if they are failing to plan or planning to fail.
I hope I am not barking up the wrong tree here. Before writing this piece I did wonder if I should let sleeping dogs lie but some of us just cannot let things go without a yelp. Honestly, some of these actions were akin to dogs sighting bones that they can’t resist biting.
One that caught my attention was the ludicrous move by the Cameron Highlands district council to hold a competition for locals to catch stray dogs for a price: RM40 per stray caught.
In what some netizens described as a disgusting brainchild, the council used the current pandemic to get the residents to “catch” – it did not say dead or alive – stray dogs as a way to earn money if they had lost their source of income during this period. Mind you, they are using public funds for this purpose.
For the record, the post has since been deleted after an uproar from animal lovers and the council announced the suspension of the “competition”. This could have led to cases of “petnapping” by some to earn some fast buck if it had gone on.
If only the council’s chief had been sensitive and discussed the issue at large before coming out with the idea, we could have been saved some real embarrassment. However, the plan has not been cancelled.
Another shocker was when a government agency under the housing and local government ministry decided to hold a Ramadan breaking of fast for 300 guests including about 100 media representatives.
And guess what? Besides the sumptuous meals that the mostly M40 and T20 reporters and guests enjoyed, they were given an envelope containing duit raya of RM250 each, and a three-tiered tiffin carrier as a door gift!
Such extravagance – at a time when a sizeable number of B40 citizens are doggedly struggling for survival while the number of Covid-19 cases keeps spiking – just makes one angry.
The senior officials in PR1MA Corporation Malaysia, a statutory body with a mandate to build “affordable homes” for the middle-income group, should have had better sense not to spend public funds to entertain the able and those who can afford a feast.
Their reply to news portal Malaysiakini on the function was classic. “It was approved by the board and it is part of our corporate social responsibility.”
Perhaps the man who came up with the idea, and the whole board, should be asked to explain the logic behind this function.
Latest available figures show that the corporation has a debt of RM4.4 million and suffered a loss of RM69.5 million as at Dec 31, 2018. It is also saddled with thousands of buyers facing delays in the delivery of their homes despite having to make loan payments for their property.
Last week, about two hours after senior minister for security Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that police permits were needed for those intending to cross state or district borders to get vaccinated, his Cabinet counterpart Khairy Jamaluddin had a different take.
To Ismail’s embarrassment probably, Khairy pointed out that no such permission was necessary if one has an appointment. The first announcement sounded so illogical that it should not have been thought of in the first place.
On Thursday, there was much whining from Malaysians when the government temporarily banned all sports and recreational activities in areas under the movement control order (MCO).
Although the public is allowed to walk in shopping malls or even at Ramadan bazaars in Kuala Lumpur, they’re not allowed to walk in an open park.
Netizens quickly offered some advice for Malaysians. Some of them said they will head to malls and Ramadan bazaars to do some exercise!
Doctors had to remind the government that science clearly points to a lower risk of infection in open ventilated areas and that exercise is beneficial for an overall healthy lifestyle.
With several questionable decisions and actions that seem to be happening every other day lately, I am beginning to agree with the saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. - FMT
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
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