By Tay Tian Yan, Sin Chew Daily

Looks like some of our people still don't have much idea what's happening around us today!

I'm talking about the Ramadan bazaar controversy.

Federal territories minister Annuar Musa said several days ago that Ramadan bazaars would still be allowed to operate albeit at a reduced scale.

Goodness! At a time when everyone is so scared of staying any nearer to another living human being, Ramadan bazaars that typically see people jostling shoulder-to-shoulder to buy fast-breaking food make a perfect breeding ground for the coronavirus.

Organisations and members of the public with some decent public health awareness have voiced up their disapproval, and health DG Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has reservedly said that any Ramadan bazaar needs to comply with the SOP by observing the social distancing rule and adopting the necessary hygiene measures or operate online or via a drive thru service.

Bravo to Noor Hisham! If he uttered a straight "no", some of our politicians would feel instantly offended, and if he said "yes", it would be a betrayal of his professional ethics..

Hopefully the DG's message could get across to our FT minister.

Annuar later changed his tone, arguing that he had not made a decision yet and would need to first discuss with other departments as well as the local authorities.

I have no idea whether Annuar and the indecisive leaders in several states are aware that this country is still not completely free from the threat of the virus, and that the next one month is a critical period. WHO has warned that coronavirus infection will only peak in Malaysia in mid-April.

If the bazaar is so important that the people should be given the freedom to roam around shopping for festive goodies, then what the hell is the 4-week MCO for? All our efforts and sacrifices will be rendered futile!

A tabligh gathering alone is already adding so much burden to the Malaysian society. Haven't we learned a lesson yet? What makes us believe that we will be okay visiting a crowded marketplace?

We cannot afford to take chances in this dreadful pandemic. A few days ago, several luggage conveyor belt workers in Australia got infected just because they touched the passenger's luggage. As if that is not enough, a Malaysian citizen returning from overseas was later diagnosed with the viral infection despite the fact he put on a face mask and gloves at all times while at airport and inside the aircraft cabin.

As the MCO begins to produce some encouraging effects and the public have offered their cooperation, allowing Ramadan bazaars to be held now is delivering a bad message to Malaysians that they are welcome to go out shopping as much as they want. All our previous efforts will go down to drain.

Annuar said the bazaars would make it convenient for rural folks to shop for the festive season.

Wait a minute! Do we still have any rural areas in FT Kuala Lumpur?

If Malaysians don't come across any problem shopping for daily groceries throughout the MCO, do we need to set up Ramadan bazaars specifically to help resolve their shopping problems?

During such a trying time, the government's job is not to please a particular segment of the society but to do what is right to protect the safety of all Malaysians.

Fortunately several states have decided to cancel the bazaars. The sultans of Selangor and Johor have ordered to cancel Ramadan bazaars in their respective states, while Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Terengganu and Kedah state governments have done the same, too.

Sensibility should come before populism. As for Ramadan bazaars, we can always have them next year!