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WHEN the number of active Covid-19 cases exceeded 40 in Klang, the relevant authorities quickly put in place a conditional movement control order (MCO).
That is probably the best option to contain the pandemic, given that two of those infected were students who had moved and even attended a birthday party before testing positive.
When the conditional MCO was announced, there were mixed feelings.
Some, especially parents of school-age children, welcomed the move, while others, such as small business owners, welcomed it with fear.
To make matters worse, the implementation appears to lack the efficiency and precision of the first MCO imposed in March, and subsequent MCO phases in the months following until the recovery MCO was announced.
To begin with, the authorities themselves seem to be confused about the coverage area of the conditional MCO.
First it was said that the conditional MCO would cover all of Klang, and then it became only the Klang sub-district without Kapar.
And finally, it appears that only certain parts of the city are being monitored, given that there are only roadblocks in Bayu Perdana, Kampung Kuantan and Taman Sri Andalas.
The roadblocks were also confusing, as vehicles could enter and exit without any restrictions, prompting the Klangites to ask whether the conditonal OLS was really necessary.
Since some of the road closures anticipated by the people weren’t there, it was like any other day in Klang apart from the fewest number of vehicles on the roads.
If the need had been communicated to the people earlier, many would not have packed up and rushed out of Klang on the eve of the conditional MCO, resulting in massive traffic jams on the roads leading out of the royal city.
Apparently, the decision to close the borders of Klang by the National Security Council of the Federal Government was made without receiving comment from the state government.
There was also talk that bus services in and out of Klang would be suspended.
This did not happen, but the people must have assumed the worst, because the bus stops in Klang city were full of empty buses.
Both the federal and state governments of Selangor must have open communication, the former being a conduit for the latter to play its role as state administrator on matters such as the conditional MCO.
There must also be great transparency in determining such important issues as conflicting directives, compounded by fake news on social media.
The uncertainties led to the inconvenience of Klang residents, and sadly, this could eventually undermine the great work of the Ministry of Health in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.
In short, all decision makers should come together regardless of differences and arbitrary pronouncements should not be made without involving people.
After all, a life-threatening pandemic concerns everyone.
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