By Ang Lai Soon

Stepping on grounds where angels fear to tread, I venture to suggest publicly on January 25 to hold religious events ONLINE.

If we did, we might have been on a very different path today! But that is all water under the bridge! 

At this most trying time, I have said, and will still say, that I am in favor of holding most things online, whether conducting classes, lectures, seminars, conferences, training and the million and one modern day promotions, using modern technology and internet to the fullest. 

It is my hope and prayer that leaders of all faiths and beliefs would consider going online until such time when all can go back to traditional way of worshiping.

Now let's all stand together in dealing with this coronavirus pandemic and its outfalls
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Let's look at the present situation and a few facts, quietly and rationally, that the pandemic can be contained as proven in China, and that by exercising high standards of personal hygiene and following the recommendations of qualified experts, we can vastly reduce the risks of infection.

Our aim as responsible and caring citizens is to do all we can to minimize the loss of human life by calmly adopting the advice of WHO and our health authorities. Refrain from acting on rumors, panic buying or calling on medical services when not really necessary. Always put the common good before our own interests, real or imagined.

We must also comply with MOH directives that seek to reduce the spread of the coronavirus even if this may interfere with our daily lives, activities and routines. We must compliment the federal and state governments for their courage to act and help.

This is a time for us all to pull together. The present coronavirus pandemic is upsetting the world's economic order of ‘free markets', arguably providing the lowest cost products to consumers on a worldwide basis. This has resulted in an intricate chain of nations each contributing in some way in the manufacture of any specific product.

The coronavirus and efforts to contain its spread have seriously disrupted this chain, leading to a downturn in the industry, tourism, shortages, collapse of small businesses and loss of jobs. Our government is in no doubt thinking of how to support those in need with things like public works and reducing business costs. While it is impossible to foresee the future, we as individuals can provide support in any way to the community we belong to.

Much of the modern social media is in constant search for unbridled sensationalism which can spread fear and cause panic more quickly than any pandemic. As responsible citizens, we must not allow ourselves to be affected by this, and make sure we help in any way we can in tackling this coronavirus pandemic and its outfalls.

Accept the many challenges we now face with fortitude and determination. As responsible citizens of this country, let's set a high standard for others to follow.

The escalation in the number of cases in the country during the past few days after a religious event attended by more than 15,000 people in Klang Valley, is most distressing. At this point of time, given the current state of affairs, it appears to me that the most practical thing now is for the country to focus on testing the maximum number of people by making it widely available so that Malaysians will come forward for testing, strictly enforcing isolation, expeditious treatment of suspected /infected cases, contact tracing, encouraging social distancing and regular temperature taking/monitoring of symptoms, so that symptomatic people can be managed accordingly.

The current spike is just the beginning, and more will be seen before the situation improves.

It is imperative that the authorities be prepared to cope with a massive influx of cases that will be sent to designated hospitals. We must therefore add more facilities quickly, and ensure that our doctors, nurses and healthcare workers are not overwhelmed. There must be sufficient supply of face masks, protective gears, ventilators and ICU beds. This is important to ensure proper care and treatment for the patients.

Admittedly, few nations can build a hospital in ten days. An average hospital takes a few years to build.

At the height of the SARS outbreak, I asked the then chief minister of Sarawak if the government would allow a purpose-built but brand new, unused, multi-million state-of-the-art private hospital to be used by Sarawak General Hospital to treat SARS patients. SGH was stretched beyond its limits.

I told him "if anyone said we could build a hospital in six days, then it would fall on the 7th day!" Today, I have been proven wrong by the Chinese!

I also told the CM, "Let's put the unused hospital (the current Sarawak Heart Center) to good use." To my greatest surprise, he said, "Yes!"

Just when China appeared to have contained COVID-19 having literally quarantined many millions of people in the hardest hit province, Hubei, many cases have now been reported in Italy and Spain where the numbers are increasing by leaps and bounds.

All events and gatherings of any form in public or private have to be suspended. Evidence of the pressure this has placed on its medical service is one man's inability to have his sister's body taken away by ambulance for several days after her death in their home.

Some European countries have adopted the lockdown policy. This drastic control of human movements is a most effective way to contain the deadly virus.

Other European nations will also need to introduce the lockdown policy, and may have to directly or indirectly adopt China's highly successful draconian lockdown to fight and contain the onslaught of this virus attack of unprecedented magnitude.

The American system may not cope with this pandemic that well. Healthcare facilities are mainly in big cities and their president's budget cuts and policies have not helped.

China has done reasonably well seeing how badly hit it was at the start. They have managed to confine the outbreak largely to Hubei and adjacent provinces despite the suddenness of the onset and the fact that nobody really knew much about the disease during the early days.

Our immediate and collective goal is to defeat COVID-19 and its fallout, together, united, and determined.

"It is a battle we must win, a war we cannot afford to lose."

(Datuk Seri Ang Lai Soon is Sarawak social activist, philanthropist, founder of St John's Ambulance Sarawak.)