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On the first anniversary yesterday that China confirmed its first death from Covid-19, a pulverized Malaysia was poised to enter its second lockdown amid vague and confusing messages.
An uninspiring speech to the nation by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin conveyed a sense of panic, again.
A speech that was supposed to be a source of inspiration and reassurance in a time of crisis presented an unclear menu of strict restrictions, leaving many frustrated.
Shocked entrepreneurs, for example, felt they were trapped in a recurring nightmare.
Why? They have to wait until Chief Minister Ismail Sabri’s daily press conference at 5pm today to find out how the latest shutdown will affect them.
It is regrettable that the specifics of limitations on companies have been left out of Muhyiddin Yassin’s bleak speech, as was the case when the first shutdown was announced last March.
The fact that the business community spent last night agonizing over what to expect and having only a few hours until midnight today to plan their next move, saps morale, goodwill, and the sense of purpose on which compliance depends.
Basic communications dictate that the government immediately specify the sectors that can operate and describe its operating protocols.
It is unforgivable to subject businesses and services to speculation and confusion.
Just as the legal fraternity wonders if the courts would work, mom and dad shops, hair salons and a host of other businesses are in a bind.
They can be forgiven for thinking their businesses would drown and more jobs would be canceled during the two-week motion control order that begins Wednesday.
While blocking is necessary, Muhyiddin’s uninspiring speech gave little confidence. It did not address the mistakes that had been made in handling the crisis.
What we got was more buzz about the worst to come and the vaccine.
We were reminded that national healthcare was bursting and that unprecedented measures were vital to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Much of the advice was the same, including Muhyiddin’s maxim, “Stay home,” physical distancing, working from home, and not dining at restaurants.
Some of the unexplained problems:
- Does Putrajaya have a new approach to fighting the virus?
- What are the government’s goals for this new OLS cycle?
- If the vaccine is ineffective, can society function without the economy disintegrating?
- Will the measures of the second blockade, very similar to the first, work since the previous strategy failed?
- How can people get to work by public transport from two meters away?
- What are the steps taken to stop the impact on mental illness, especially among the previously healthy and lonely elderly?
Muhyiddin would do well to broaden his advisory base for the sake of long-term planning and to consider more carefully the effects of his decisions.
It is a horrible world right now and the virus and its infection rate is an unpredictable moving target.
Those responsible, although exhausted, know that they have to do the best they can and cannot do as the coronavirus crosses the country.
When is the end When everyone acts responsibly. As long as people continue to disobey the rules, the nightmare will repeat itself.
The harsh restrictions will hurt but they are necessary. What worries many people is not the blockade, but the growing belief that the government does not have an exit plan or the ability to execute one.
The next 14 days are crucial if we want to get the virus under control, not just briefly, but in the long term.
Muhyiddin and his team must use it to implement a measured plan to get out of lockdown this time.
They have to make us believe that they will. But they, and we, cannot afford any more lapses.
The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
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