Let’s wake up and become humane again

 

Things have been in a state of flux for more than one year now with the ongoing pandemic. Every day, more grief gets poured onto common folk.

There is no real clarity about what to do. And, there is no clear indication if the remedies prescribed will actually make things better.

From the vaccination programme and the movement control orders, to the steps taken to protect everybody from the fallout from the crisis, everything is uncertain.

At best, it is a spin of the roulette wheel.

Errant leaders, confusing directions, system breakdowns, conflicting messages from the authorities, conflating or mixing up issues from our health to the economy, and from our personal freedoms to the collective good of all citizens, seem to point to a continuation of the hot mess we have all been part of for what seems an eternity.

To make matters worse, everyone and their cat has an opinion about everything and are not discerning about blurting it out.

Even as uninformed as some people are, they just cannot stop churning the rumour mill by passing on every little nugget of iffy information they lay their hands on.

Then of course, we have those who take to social media to name and shame anyone who may have an alternative perspective on something.

Heaven forbid that anyone questions conventional wisdom, or even thinks of starting a dialogue about anything health-related that is different from a non-mainstream standpoint.

People seem to be champions at this new artform called “cancel culture”.

Cancel culture is a contemporary form of banishment in which someone is shoved out of a social or even professional circle, either online, on social media, or in person.

People who are subject to this snubbing are said to have been “cancelled”. If you have a thought or an opinion which is different from the herd, you will be ostracised.

But this past year should have brought to the fore some hard truths.

Many leaders are in it just for themselves; there are differing opinions on how to combat this global crisis; mass-hysteria is quite easily generated; the media plays a role in shaping public opinion but the democratisation of information makes every thought leader an opinion maker; and fundamentally, everyone is terrified of an uncertain future.

So, what’s the way forward?

“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up,” said Vince Lombardi, a professional football coach who became a national symbol in his country for cultivating a single-minded determination to win.

To get up again after we have been knocked down, is going to take a gargantuan collective effort from all Malaysians, with no one left behind.

Everyone needs to get determined to fight the curse of this pandemic.

For this, clarity of leadership is paramount. Leaders must be inclusive of all citizens. Parochial behaviour must be dumped, as we formulate cohesive strategies to work on “Team Malaysia”.

People who want to be vaccinated must be offered multiple avenues to do so, easily.

Those who adopt a “wait and see” attitude need to be offered evidence on the efficacy of the inoculation and not beaten down to submission.

And, people who passionately object to the vaccination should not be “cancelled” but actually get a hearing. Hear their worries, understand their thought processes, and work with them.

If you think you can label someone “irresponsible” or “foolish” just because they have a differing opinion, or if they are insecure about what they should do, then really you are the bigger dunce.

We have to be kind to each other, and we have to work together. We are at a crossroad in our lives and togetherness will help us bounce back from this dreadful situation we find ourselves in.

In the second quarter of 2020, Malaysia had a workforce of 14.88 million. Nearly 30% of these workers were not employees with a guaranteed monthly income.

To the keyboard warriors who keep insisting on shutting or locking down the country, please remember that it may be expedient for you to have this opinion because you are salaried.

But unlike you, a third of working Malaysians don’t get a fixed income credited to their bank accounts or into their pockets in the event that there is a lockdown.

How about you show some empathy for your fellow Malaysians?

And instead, demand social justice for them from the authorities. If we shut the economy down even for two weeks, there are dire consequences for people who don’t have a fixed salary.

Yes, it may be absolutely necessary to shut down, but don’t go barking up the wrong tree.

A single mother who has three children and lives on the poverty line still needs to put food on the table. She doesn’t deserve to be “cancelled”. You don’t get to shame her because she opens her small roadside stall.

She has to, because of the failure of our social justice system, perpetuated by self-serving politicians and civil servants, aided by an apathetic populace.

Think before you pass judgment. And please hold the right people to account.

Have you ever wondered why some folks or even nations bounce back faster from challenges, while others fall and can’t seem to get back up again?

I reckon it comes down to resilience and a sense of togetherness.

Resilience is the process of adjusting appropriately to harsh conditions, shock, catastrophe, coercions or stress. And to survive, we must do this collectively, now.

We fight back. We become inclusive of all opinions. We leave no one behind.

Let’s wake up, and become humane again. - FMT

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