by Xavier Kong
THE Covid-19 pandemic is still making its rounds in Malaysia, and the Movement Control Order (MCO) has been upped to Enhanced MCO (EMCO) status in an increasing number of red spots and hot zones, or is that hot spots and red zones? Anyway, I digress.
With the pandemic making its presence known and felt, It is no wonder that the government is preaching safety measures, such as “Duduk diam-diam di rumah,” as our Prime Minister is now noted for saying, adhering to MCO guidelines of one person per vehicle and having eateries only open from 8am to 8pm, and general hygiene like the regular washing of hands, regular showers, and social distancing.
See, that last one there, social distancing, can be a great thing if done right. This writer managed to get into one of the daily update sessions by Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, the Health Director-General, and social distancing was put into good practice during the press conference itself.
Seats were placed a meter apart, in accordance with social distancing rules, with a spread of microphones for those with questions to ask. Hand sanitiser was provided, and wearing face masks was a requirement for all the attending press representatives. Entry requirements included temperature screening as well.
This effort to keep the press safe is very much applauded and appreciated, and serves as an example of how public gatherings should be after the MCO: controlled in numbers, practising social distancing, and only done when absolutely necessary. (And yes, the press conference counts as necessary due to the need for timely, direct responses about this pandemic from Dr Noor Hisham for our readers.)
All this serves to highlight one very important thing, however, and it is that the ministry officials and ministers are people, too, and that means they are not immune from infection from Covid-19.
So why are some ministers deliberately ignoring the most basic of social distancing measures?
Allow me to direct you to the website of the Prime Minister’s Office, this page in particular, where our prime minister is seen ignoring what he preaches through his announcements and administration, by ignoring the minimum distance of a meter, not wearing a mask, and having a gathering to display how companies are donating to the Anti-Covid-19 fund.
Yes, yes, bravo and applause for the companies pitching in to the fund and helping the country, but this looks like a publicity stunt, and an absolutely risky one at that. Not only are there people in close proximity, from what is observed in the picture, the question of hygiene as the props are passed around is another matter as well. Not sure how one goes about disinfecting something printed on cardboard.
And what about the images of meetings being held in person by ministers and their staff? Is teleconferencing or video conferencing unacceptable for this? I mean, it is understandable that these are matters of state importance, but it would be an excellent example by our ministers if they could conduct their meetings online, rather than sitting around a table for pictures to be uploaded to social media.
At the same time, it also points at our prime minister as being a bit of a hypocrite in not doing as the MCO requires. Yes, ministers and their officials are essential staff, but why are they exempted from more of the MCO than the people?
As I recall, essential service staff are allowed to travel to the office for work, taking the required precautions, not holding events or gatherings. Then comes the matter of commuting to work. With Phase Two of the MCO decreeing that there should only be one person in each vehicle, are ministers getting exemptions for having a driver in the vehicle?
For that matter, I personally think that rule was not really thought out properly. Even in the easiest case of getting groceries, having someone you already live with driving the car as you run in to get groceries (or vice versa) would be a great way to ensure minimal time spent in a public area, while not clogging up the area around the supermarket or mall itself.
I mean, look, would it be all right if our prime minister went to get groceries with his wife, while the rest of us are stuck with the one person per vehicle rule? Why not rescind this? It would also stop people from calling out government officials on yet another rule of the MCO that they are flouting.
All I am saying is, it would be nice to see that the top brass are actually doing as we common folk are, and not taking exemptions as they please. So much for social distancing and avoiding gatherings in this time of crisis.
In the end, the ministers are human, just as we are. When they are allowed more exemptions from the MCO than the rest of us, it just presents more of a risk for all, as this would mean the MCO is not being adhered to by 100% of the population.
What was it our prime minister said? “I would like to remind you that, if this MCO is not adhered to, it will not bring any positive impact and everything we have done will be for nothing.” (Muhyiddin, March 25, 2020).
What say you now, prime minister? Will your staff and cabinet adhere to the rules of the MCO, or continue to flout them through the exemptions they take? – April 8, 2020
