I personally think it is and based on feedback from many others, they too think it is too soon to celebrate.
Since the Prime Minister’s live telecast on May 1st, we have heard of increased vehicular and people traffic in Subang Jaya. Friends in Penang have also lamented that it seems everything’s back to pre-MCO. A group of men were drinking alcohol in front of their house in USJ19 on the same day at 7pm as if there’s something to celebrate.
Have we won the battle against Covid-19? Has the number of new cases gone down to a single digit? On May 2nd and 3rd, we saw the number of new cases breach three digits again.
The Conditional MCO is to ease up on the economy and by no means is the actual lifting of the MCO. It would be irresponsible to think that we are out of the woods.
We are not! The international medical fraternity has warned that the cases detected are only the tip of the iceberg. In Iceland for every documented case there are 2 more undetected; in Germany 5 to 1 and in New York City 10 to 1.
Are the powers that be giving up or are they sending out the wrong signals? It doesn’t take a not too bright person to figure out that we are still at war. So why are our men in blue being pulled back from roadblocks effective May 4th?
Are we not still under MCO? Several State governments have decided not to abide by the May 4th CMCO and have instead come up with their own version of a modified CMCO. Selangor for example has added a few conditions of their own (read Page 15 of this edition).
What does it mean? It means that if you are in Selangor, you can only do take-aways and have your food delivered; but if you cross over to Kuala Lumpur, you can sit and dine in (if you dare) at any eatery or restaurant. Isn’t this confusing? How are we to #kitajagakita if no one is synchronising their efforts to fight Covid-19 together?
We need cool heads to make a good and lasting decision when faced with a pandemic of this magnitude.
On this note, ADUN Subang Jaya Michelle Ng feels that the CMCO is crash-landing the MCO which is in place. She has proposed in her jottings this month (read Page 8 of this edition) for a soft landing approach which looks at making it a priority to ensure compliance with the ‘new normal’ after the MCO is lifted. She has stood her ground on this and feels that this will be a better approach to balancing economic interest and the lives of the rakyat at stake.
I personally feel that the mixed signals from the government are worrying because it causes confusion and ambiguity. After almost 2 months at the rostrum daily on live telecast we can’t blame the spokesman if he himself is as confused as his dressing.
Jokes aside I will continue to observe the MCO. It is self- discipline that will ensure I survive and not become a statistic. I do not want my family, friends and neighbours to become a statistic either.
I believe the decision is in our hands whether we want to risk it all by going back to our old ways. Are we better off safe than sorry? I am going to observe the advice issued by the Ministry of Health on how to stay alive and for now ignore what the Federal YBs have to tell us.
PAK SALLEH’s mi kolok can wait. It won’t be worth it if I land up 6 feet underground!
SJ Echo will be embracing the new normal starting this month. Our print edition resumes for this May edition accompanied by our e-Edition which is accessible via our website www.sjecho.com.my; while our Facebook Page SJEcho will continue to bring you the latest news on the pandemic.
STAY HOME, STAY SAFE. Don’t Believe Everything You Hear!
