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1:03pm 04/05/2020
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To do or not to do

By Mohsin Abdullah

A few hours after the prime minister announced the relaxation of the MCO, several medical experts voiced out their concerns saying it was still too early to do so.

Among them was Dr Pang Yong Kek, president of the Malaysian Thoracic Society. He was quoted by MalaysiaKini as saying while the need to ease restrictions for economic reasons is understandable, the May 1 announcement by the prime minister "has left members of the medical community feeling jittery".

Free Malaysia Today, meanwhile, ran a report on health experts warning that the easing of MCO now "might lead to new cases of COVID-19 infections".

The news portal quoted Azrul Mohd Khalib, executive director of the Galen Center for Health and Social Policy saying people might be confused over the standard operating procedures given the short time frame for preparation, warning also of non-compliance by others.

"This could result in Malaysia lurching from this MCO to another one a few months later", he told FMT.

If medical and health experts are worried and feeling jittery, what more layman like me? What more when on April 29 health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah was reported to have said medical researchers had found a more contagious mutation of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 in Malaysia.

According to the Malay Mail Online, Dr Hisham said the more contagious variant which infected Case #26 had so far infected 120 other patients.

And on April 30, the Malay Mail Online ran another story that the Ministry of Health had advised the Institute for Medical Research to conduct more isolation tests on SARS—CoV-2 virus to determine the mutation of the coronavirus behind the COVID-19 pandemic.

A day later, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin made his announcement. Therefore, it would be good to know how Dr Hisham saw the MCO relaxation as announced by the prime minister.

He said his ministry was backing the government's move to relax restrictions and declare a conditional movement control order.

This according to him was because the country had progressed in the recovery phase of the COVID-19 outbreak and healthcare facilities were no longer strained as daily new cases had dropped consistently below 100.

But in the light of the conditional MCO, Dr Hisham said it was very important or essential for Malaysians to adhere to the SOPs already established, and businesses in particular must follow the regulations or we risk being placed under lockdown should a virus outbreak occur.

The reopening of the economy, said Dr Hisham, was decided collectively by the entire government with the health ministry giving its input. And the decision was made to balance efforts in controlling COVID-19 and the consequences to business.

In short, it is about balancing life and livelihood. But then he reminds us all not to rush into it.

So, will the people, including medical experts and yours truly who are feeling jittery, be at ease now?

Based on what the health DG said? Not really, I would say. I, for one, am still nervous and frightened.

As I write this, new COVID-19 cases have hit triple digits again after registering double digits for a good spell.

Sarawak, Sabah, Kedah, Pahang, Penang and Kelantan have said they will not be implementing the conditional MCO, while Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Perak aims to do it partially.

Now we have Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, the communications and multimedia minister saying the government's decision to allow almost all economic sectors and business activities to resume operations does not mean all need to reopened immediately.

He said the government put Monday May 4 as the date to resume operations "because we do not want the situation to explode on May 12 (when the fourth phase of MCO is supposed to end).

"So, it is best to grant the permission now (to prepare for the conditional movement control order)," said Saifuddin as quoted by Malay Mail Online a day before the conditional MCO is to take effect.

But that was not the impression given when the prime minister made his announcement to the nation "live" on national television on Friday May 1.

Then senior minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri was saying on the eve the economy is to open up that the government is advising businesses to stay closed and for people to avoid going to commercial premises.

This, he said, comes amid concerns the government's decision to relax the MCO would trigger fresh waves of COVID-19 infections.

I can't help but ask whether the conditional MCO had been discussed and properly thought over before the PM announced it to the nation. Even Umno vice president Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin has accused the federal government of failing to get approval from all states before arriving at the decision to open up the economic sectors—going on to say such an important decision should have been discussed with all the states first.

So, can I be blamed for being nervous and frightened? Now not only I am nervous and frightened, I am also confused.

And don't forget we have half a million applications being processed by the police for interstate travel. The police will have to come up with the movement schedule fast as Ismail has confirmed interstate travel will take effect from Thursday May 7 to Sunday May 11.

Whatever decision the government makes, I must agree with a friend who says in the final analysis that it is upon us the rakyat to be smart, disciplined, alert and cautious as we navigate the MCO, conditional or otherwise, and adapt to the so-called "new normal". We must take it upon ourselves.

Pray we pull through this Malaysia.

(Mohsin Abdullah is a veteran journalist and now a freelancer who writes about this, that and everything else.)

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