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LYRICS | The many months of protracted battle with Covid-19 have revealed a troubling trend on our national front: poor planning and communications between administrations.
From the choice of words (that is, the previous use of “lockdown” was hastily withdrawn and replaced by “motion control command”, like a lightbulb moment that only occurred when people’s panic increased), down to how incentives for economic recovery were advertised, often carelessly packaged and lazy, sometimes even jeopardizing efforts to slow the spread of the virus (remember when the i-Lestari announcement triggered an increase in traffic on EPF branches shortly after?)
But the recent announcement of the conditional motion control (MCO) order in the Klang Valley takes the cake. With no data or figures detailing how bad the situation really is in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, the conditional MCO was abruptly announced. Some protocols are given, but it ends with a blanket statement stating that all economic activities can still operate, as usual, throwing the media and the general public into complete disarray.
The common disclaimer applied “more information to come” did little to assuage the general consternation throughout. Two days after the announcement, most are still just as confused, employers left to their own devices to interpret protocols to suit their interests, employees were told to test the waters and see if they managed to overcome obstacles. Just two days ago one of the guidelines was discreetly revised (almost as if it were not really official): now more than two are allowed to share a table at dinner. Every day, new information continues to appear, which questions whether the entire scheme has been duly evaluated and consented to by the relevant parties.
To put it mildly, the whole procedure gave the impression of messy planning and ineffective communications. There can be many reasons why, perhaps the situation is evolving too fast or there is always more than meets the eye, but whatever it is, we must nip it in the bud and make our elected leaders improve, if not higher standards.
Embracing the “new normal” should not amount to running the country in crisis mode, by default. We have had the past months to learn in the most tangible way, with the attention of research, technology, and experience from around the world focused on addressing the pandemic from every possible angle; There really is no excuse for hesitating and being careless. The minimum of presenting information, in holistic, concise and without contradictions (“are all economic activities allowed” but some companies must close?) Is vital, whether in crisis or not.
If anything, the recent rise of the virus in the country has done much to unmask the veneer of competition from some leaders. But the worst thing is allowing those above us to misbehave or perform poorly in the name of being in a perpetual “state of emergency.”
The opinions expressed here are those of the author / contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
