By S Jayakrishnan
ALL across the country the hashtag #kitajagakita has metaphorically evolved from a stay safe coronavirus alert pandemic reminder to a rallying call to help fellow Malaysians.
People of all faiths, colour and creed are coming together to render help to the many whose lives and livelihoods have been devastated by the surging COVID-19.
Many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civic-minded individuals are doing this on their own initiative, without any publicity or limelight.
Whether it is out of sympathy, empathy or a sense of moral compassion, it is one of the rare positives emerging from the wake of this catastrophic pandemic that has left medical staff and hospitals grappling to cope with ever increasing COVID-19 patients and critical shortages of beds, oxygen supplies and essential supplies.
In Selangor, where an enhanced movement control order (EMCO) has been imposed and in ground zero Klang, ordinary folks are queuing up daily for food to sustain themselves and their dependents.
Corporations, supermarket chains, philanthropists, professionals and other well-wishers are rallying to the plight of the poor, as well as those hoisting white flags in desperation as poverty lines are seemingly blurred.
The rising number of suicide cases and such attempts perhaps most glaringly highlight the depths of emotional distress and trauma that many have succumbed to in the pandemic blight.
Some have surmised that as taxpayers, Malaysians should rightly demand that the Government and its ministers be held accountable for the urgent aid and funds that need to be channelled to hospitals and those in need.
It is my humble view that engaging in endless polemics and blame game is fruitless when so many vulnerable lives are at risk.
No doubt at some stage in this tragedy of our times, the leaders who have failed us when we needed them most will be held to account by an unforgiving electorate who have wised up to a reality check, politically.
In the meantime, it is the ordinary rakyat who have come to understand some hard truths of survival, the sense of muhibbah and coming to terms with the realisation that the people need to help themselves out of this virus quagmire that we find ourselves entrapped in.
Civic-minded folks are stepping forward to help because they realise they need to reach out to their neighbours, the poor and common folks when official channels have failed to grasp the enormity of the health and economic crisis that has paralysed our country.
The people know better than any self-serving politician that when it comes to getting a lifeline in this evolving crisis, they need to help their fellow countrymen.
#KitaJagaKita has taken on a new context as Malaysians set up food banks, offer consolation and moral support to enable the vulnerable to cope and survive this pandemic.
Failed politicians, “realised” voters
These are the feel-good stories being played out in villages, neighbourhoods and housing estates across the country. And these Samaritans are helping to sustain lives and giving the rakyat a measure of hope amidst all the gloom.
While these positive vibes help empower the vulnerable groups, the negativity engendered by the catastrophic health and economic crises is playing itself out on social media platforms. Many Malaysians have taken to cyber space to express their angst at everything this coronavirus has unleashed – from disrupted education for their school-going children to making ends meet, unemployed grads and grovelling politicians without any sense of a moral compass or empathy with the suffering of the people.
The strategy to ramp up vaccinations too has got a lot of stick, as many feel action has not been focused on the factories and workers’ dorms where workplace clusters have worsened.
And the vaccination rollout coordination is getting much flak too. I know of senior citizens residing in red zones who have not had their first vaccination dose when others far younger and living in safer zones have already got their second jab. The mismatch and disparity only serve to create a perception of a glaring lack of coordination in attaining what now seem to be unfathomable targets, goals and indicators in our road to economic recovery.
And of “technical issues” with the MySejahtera app that compels folks to opt for a different appointment slot after they had confirmed their original appointment date and venue. What gives is anyone’s guess.
The MySejahtera app has been implemented for well over a year and yet these glitches seemingly occur without fail.
And what of those who are told to go to vaccination centres miles away from their homes when a medical facility or a klinik kampung barely a stone’s throw from their residence is providing vaccinations daily to others.
They run the risk of infection not only to themselves while crisscrossing districts but also to those ferrying them to the vaccination venues and back.
Is there any reason then why the spectre of this pandemic not spreading like a wildfire is not a real possibility?
The people will not forget when the elections are called. It may well be the final reckoning in this pandemic “horror show” unfolding within our midst. – July 11, 2021.
S Jayakrishnan is a contributor to FocusM.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
