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He was supposed to attend an old neighbor’s daughter’s wedding on October 18. Now, it seems that the wedding will not take place.
This is because the groom lives in Klang, which will be placed under the conditional movement control order (CMCO) from October 9.
I don’t know how many other weddings and family functions will be interrupted in Klang and three other locations – Sandakan, Papar and Tuaran, all in Sabah, which will also be under the CMCO on October 9.
I don’t know how many lives will be turned upside down.
Authorities say only two people in each household will be able to leave the house to buy food or other essential items.
With the exception of those who transport food and other essential items, and also with the approval of the police, no one will be able to enter or leave these locations during the CMCO.
In addition, all businesses, except those of essential services, will have to close temporarily. Schools, places of worship and night markets must close.
Additionally, gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, sundries, and pharmacies will only be open from 6:00 a.m. M. At 6:00 p. M. Morning markets can only operate from 6 am to 2 pm
While I commend the authorities for taking these strict precautions to prevent the spread of the disease, I am puzzled by the reason for restricting the hours of operation of stores, markets, and gas stations.
The idea behind the CMCO is to ensure better physical distancing so that the coronavirus cannot find a human host and die.
Now if you say that grocery stores or supermarkets in these areas can only operate between 6am and 2pm, you are going to have more people gathering at these outlets at the same time.
If you allow normal hours of operation, the number of people in stores is likely to spread, as people will not try to rush to get the items they need.
Knowing the Malaysians, you’re going to have an extra large crowd just before 2pm. M., And that will not help maintain physical distance between people.
Therefore, I think that putting a time limit is counterproductive.
Authorities, especially political leaders, should already be aware that they are being watched by the public.
Malaysians are noticing everything they do, even if Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was wearing the pink Covid-19 bracelet.
They are also noticing, and making public via social media, instances of double standards when it comes to punishing those who violate standard operating procedures.
The government should take note that public anger against double standards is increasing.
People are angry that federal ministers and some other politicians seem immune to action if they fail to adhere to SOPs intended to curb the spread of Covid-19, but ordinary people are getting hit.
MCA spokesman Mike Chong Yew Chuan put it well when he said: “If the public is being fined 1,000 RM just for taking off their masks for a moment, yet the ministers are getting away with obviously outsmarting SOPs, aren’t you Embarrassed when we make bold claims of ‘No double standards’?
“How can we tell the rakyat to follow standard operating procedures when the politicians themselves do not follow them?”
The most obvious case at the moment involves the Minister of Plantation and Commodity Industries, Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali.
Khairuddin visited Turkey in July, but was in Parliament within days, instead of undergoing the 14-day quarantine that anyone traveling to other countries must do upon return.
People are not happy that he was only fined 1,000 RM, and that too after some public pressure, as some ordinary citizens have suffered harsher penalties.
On October 7, the police said that the investigative document on Khairuddin had been returned to the Attorney General’s Office “for a more detailed review.” July to October is a long time.
I find it interesting that former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was convicted of seven counts of breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering on July 28, has asked the authorities to charge Khairuddin with “violating” the warrant. mandatory quarantine.
Another minister, Zulkifli Mohamad, who is in charge of Islamic religious affairs and who tested positive after returning from Sabah, was criticized for skipping self-quarantine and traveling to various places for official and personal matters.
Muhyiddin himself admitted that the sudden spike in Covid-19 cases was partly due to the holding of the Sabah state elections, as several politicians who campaigned there tested positive and may have spread it to others.
Many people have criticized the government’s handling of the elections in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic, saying more precautions should have been taken.
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), for example, said the government was slow to react to the risks posed by those returning to the peninsula from Sabah.
Its president, Dr. Subramaniam Muniandy, said: “Mandatory testing and quarantine for returnees should have been imposed earlier, as many Malaysians were already traveling to affected areas in Sabah in the days leading up to state elections.
He said the Health Ministry had done its part by constantly reminding the public to adhere to standard operating procedures, but that the warnings were not heeded. “Some of the politicians and people present at these political events were seen not observing the physical distancing, while some had their masks down, as can be clearly seen in the images of the campaign highlights on television.” .
He also noted that while ordinary Malaysians were caught and fined daily for disobeying standard operating procedures, “important people appear to be getting away with it.”
There can be no double standards. People are watching. People get frustrated; and angry.
And you can’t blame them. They are worried, even scared. Most have families to care for and no one wants to lose a family member to the virus.
Life is turned upside down in a confinement: food can be hard to come by, people lose jobs and income, children cannot go to school, the daily routine is broken and stress accumulates.
No one wants to be placed under the CMCO or a specific enhanced MCO due to the carelessness or tidakapathy of others, especially not those who call themselves leaders.
The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT
