31 May 2021

Kalu Makteh haru,Lebai kampong lagi celaru...


Golongan antivaksin yang dikesan cuba menghasut orang ramai agar tidak mengambil suntikan vaksin Covid-19 boleh dikenakan tindakan undang-undang, menurut Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Parlimen dan Undang-undang) Takiyuddin Hassan. Takiyuddin berkata sesiapa yang didapati berbuat demikian boleh dikenakan tindakan mengikut undang-undang sedia ada, serta peruntukan di bawah Ordinan Darurat 2021.

"Selain Akta Hasutan 1948, kita juga mempunyai Akta Komunikasi dan Multimedia 1998 dan undang-undang dibawah Ordinan Darurat 2021. "Untuk golongan berkenaan (antivaksin), kita tidak perlukan undang-undang baru sebaliknya boleh dikenakan mengikut undang-undang sedia ada. - mk

OKlah! Kerajaan bodoh tapi 
tuan2 70 kali lagi bodoh...

Sila lihat gambar di atas yang menunjukkan keadaan trafik jam yang sesak di Tol Gombak dua hari sudah. Beribu buah kereta, bas dan lori merentas negeri dari Selangor menuju ke Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan dsbnya. Macam mana pula Polis boleh membenarkan beribu biji kereta dan bas merentas negeri?  Takkan mereka semua ada surat rentas negeri?  Saya pi balik ke kedai saya di Bangsar South pun saya kena tahan Polis di dua tempat, terpaksa tunjuk surat saya dan hari itu sempat jawab soalan Polis yang tanya saya berapa harga emas sekarang. 

So how did so many thousands of vehicles boleh terlepas Tol Gombak dari Selangor dan masuk ke Pahang dan ke Pantai Timur ? Ok lah hanpa kata Kerajaan Din ni bodoh - kali ini Kerajan memberi notis 4 hari sebelum mula lockdown pada 1hb Jun, 2021. Jadi ramai orang ambil kesempatan balik kampong dapat cuti free 1hb Jun - 14 hb Jun 2021.

Soalannya bukankah tuan2 yang mengambil kesempatan "curi-curi" balik kampong itu lagi bodoh daripada Kerajaan ni?  Sebab tuan2 sedang membawa corona virus yang fresh dan segar dari Kolompo balik ke rumah di kampong masing2.  You are transporting fresh Covid virus - jenama Covid Afrika Selatan-lah, jenama Covid India-lah dari Kolompo straight ke dalam rumah dan dapur ibu dan ayah di kampong.

Percayalah -dalam tempoh 14 hari dari sekarang kita akan melihat jangkitan Covid memuncak di Pahang, Kelantan dan Terengganu. Ianya pasti akan berlaku.  Kita boleh sebut sebagai Kluster Tol Gombak. Masa itu janganlah tuduh Kerajaan sebagai bodoh.  Masa itu tuan2 ambil lah arang hitam tenyeh tang dahi-lah  dengan kata2 'Saya lagi bodoh'... - Syed Akbar Ali 

Govt decides against allowing 
public to choose vaccine...

Putrajaya has decided against giving an option for the rakyat to choose their type of vaccine, said Khairy Jamaluddin, the minister in charge of the country’s Covid-19 immunisation programme.

This came only three days after Khairy announced that the government was looking at giving the option via the MySejahtera application.

“We thought about that initially, but now the concern is to increase and ramp up the vaccination number. So, we will just give whatever (vaccines) we have,” he said.

“If we give them an option, maybe that will slow things down,” he told a press conference after visiting the vaccination centre at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MitEC) today. Some may choose to wait if they were given an option to choose their vaccines, he said.

In April, the Malaysian Public Health Physicians’ Association urged the government to allow the public to choose their designated vaccines to enable the government to achieve herd immunity.


The association pointed out some people were reluctant to register for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) due to vaccine manufacturer preference and fears of strong side effects.

It was recently reported that 10,827 individuals had failed to turn up for their vaccination appointment in Kedah between April 19 and May 22 while a similar issue happened in Kelantan, which saw close to 10,000 missing their appointment. For the record, the recipients are not given the option to choose which type of vaccines they receive.

An exception was later made for AstraZeneca when Putrajaya took the vaccine out of the mainstream NIP as certain quarters were concerned over extremely rare but potentially fatal blood clot cases reported among its recipients in other countries.

To date, only vaccines from three sources have been approved by Malaysia’s health authority, namely Pfizer, Sinovac and AstraZeneca.


Meanwhile, de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan also warned that action could also be taken against anti-vaxxers under other existing laws, including the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, as well as the Emergency Ordinance 2021.

On another development, Khairy said Malaysia will discuss with Saudi Arabia the haj and umrah pilgrimage programme as some Malaysian Muslims took Sinovac, which was not recognised by Saudi Arabia.

“I am seeking the advice of the committee’s expert if those who received their first dose of Sinovac, can take Pfizer (instead, when they return for a second dose),” he said, adding that the expert has yet to come back to him.

Not many were affected by the issue, he added. The government had decided to give the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines to those selected to perform the haj this season. - mk


KJ why say one thing and another thing few days later? Since government is so indecisive why not allow private clinics to buy Pfizer /Moderna ( if approved by NPRA) and let Malaysians at their own costs choose their vaccines and clinics to vaccinate ? This would reduce the burden on the government and its healthcare staff and also expedite the vaccination process. - BlueShark1548

Looks like our government has bungled in handling the covid 19 crisis big time. Please admit it. Then ask advice from your counterpart in Singapore or even Indonesia. We dont want to be no. 1 in the world for the wrong reasons. - Rakyat 5354

Speed of vaccination is key for us to recover from pandemic. In fact it is our only way out since covid is right among all of us. If we delay it may mutate more and create more variants. All vaccines has been proven effective. All those internet scientist and doctors are not credible experts. US and Europe using Pfizer and AZ has cases dropped significantly. China using Sinovac too has shown great progress. We should do our duty and ourselves vaccinated asap without trying to choose the flavor of the month. In fact name me a country where every person can "order" the type of vaccine they like. - Just a Malaysian

Berhentilah bercerita tentang mimpi dan angan-angan. Dahulukan reality yang sehingga kini masih ramai lagi yang telah berdaftar tetapi masih tidak di beri tarikh untuk di vaksin. - MatBDbertuah

Mr.Oxford Minister,your erratic behaviour and false promises are the only reason for slow vaccination. Don't you dare blame the rakyat! - Headshot

cheers.

29 May 2021

Total lockdown atau stepdown...

 
Sidang Khas Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN) Mengenai Pengurusan Covid-19 yang dipengerusikan oleh YAB Perdana Menteri petang tadi telah memutuskan untuk melaksanakan penutupan penuh sektor sosial dan ekonomi ataupun ‘total lockdown’ Fasa Pertama di seluruh negara bagi tempoh 14 hari bermula 1 Jun 2021 hingga 14 Jun 2021. 

"Sepanjang tempoh ini, semua sektor tidak dibenarkan untuk beroperasi kecuali sektor ekonomi dan perkhidmatan perlu (essential economic and service sector) yang akan disenaraikan oleh Majlis Keselamatan Negara," kata kenyataan itu.

Tambah kenyataan itu, keputusan itu dibuat selepas mengambil kira situasi terkini penularan Covid-19 di Malaysia dengan jumlah kes harian telah melebihi 8,000 kes dan kes aktif melebihi 70,000 kes. Setakat hari ini, seramai 2,552 orang telah meninggal dunia akibat wabak ini dan jumlah kematian semakin meningkat. 

"Kewujudan varian-varian baharu yang lebih ganas dengan kadar kebolehjangkitan yang tinggi dan pantas juga turut mempengaruhi keputusan hari ini. 

"Dengan peningkatan kes-kes harian yang menunjukkan trend kenaikan secara lebih mendadak sejak mutakhir ini, kapasiti hospital di seluruh negara untuk merawat pesakit Covid-19 juga semakin terhad," katanya. - mk

PWTC - Camni gaya takyahlah ambil vaksin...

Rather then having 10,000 people going into one large centre,isnt it better to send 10,000 people into 10 smaller location? By doing so will avoid any form of mass gathering. Surely this gomen isnt that dumb until  they cannot think of this simple solution???

By doing so,the gomen is making Malaysia the only country in the world where our vaccination programme will produce more Covid 19 cases instead. Takkan Menteri Vaksin tak terpikiaq kot...

PM Din finally declares full lockdown – Doctors have to choose whom to send to the ICU...

Muhyiddin Yassin, the power-hungry, but clueless and incompetent prime minister has finally declared a full lockdown effective June 1 to 14. The 2-week nationwide lockdown decision comes on Friday evening (May 28) after the country reported its fourth consecutive day of record infections – a whopping 8,290 Coronavirus new cases and 61 deaths.
 
The latest infections bring the total cumulative cases since the start of the pandemic to 549,514. The total death toll has hit 2,552 – all of which happens under the current administration. This month alone, a total of 1,046 deaths from Covid-19 was recorded. In comparison, the country recorded only 471 deaths due to Covid for the entire year 2020.
 
Unlike last year, when the Ministry of Health used to boast about higher daily recoveries than new infections, it’s the opposite now. As of today, there are 72,823 active cases, the first time it has breached the 70,000 milestone. Worse, the number of patients in ICU continues hitting the roof with 808 patients, while 403 patients have to be intubated to help them breathe.

It was only on Sunday that PM Muhyiddin, through a pre-recorded interview, told 33 million Malaysians on TV that a total lockdown was out of the question as he insisted the already ailing economy would be destroyed. Similarly, the genius Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz had also said a full lockdown was not possible as 4 million people could lose their income or employment.
 
The U-turn in less than a week speaks volumes about not only the incompetence of Muhyiddin administration, but also the serious deterioration of the pandemic as a result of mishandling and pussyfooting by the ruling Perikatan Nasional coalition. SOP (standard operating procedure) flip-flops, policy U-turns and double standards enforcement have become the trademarks of the regime.
 
In essence, the latest full-scale lockdown means the country has returned to the previous MCO 1.0 nationwide lockdown first implemented on March 18, 2020, but in a much worse situation. When the premier announced the MCO 1.0 on March 16 last year, there were only 138 daily cases and a total 553 infections. Today, it is 8,290 daily cases and a total 549,514 infections.

Last year, Muhyiddin, like a great leader and hero, spoke to the nation in a special address on TV to deliver the 14-day MCO (Movement Control Order) lockdown. Almost everyone applauded the decision to fight Covid-19. Today, it was only a very dry statement issued from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Almost everyone commented – angrily – “I told you so”.

So, what has happened since Sunday that forced the prime minister to reluctantly bite the bullet and made the humiliating U-turn? It was a dumb decision from the beginning when the government stubbornly introduced yet another half-baked MCO 3.0 lockdown starting on May 12. Everyone was against doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Balik Kampung - Hari Raya Cluster...

The MCO 3.0 was a carbon-copy of MCO 2.0, with some minor tweaks. The only difference is, while MCO 2.0 was introduced before the Chinese New Year, MCO 3.0 was introduced toward the end of Ramadan bazaar and days before the traditional “balik kampung” exodus for Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration. The Chinese Lunar New Year did not trigger any Coronavirus cluster.

It’s a different story with the Hari Raya festival. When Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah revealed that between April 1 and May 26, manufacturing sector was the main contributor to workplace clusters, contributing 46%, it was already the clearest proof that the MCO 3.0 lockdown was a failure, as anticipated and predicted by everyone, except the stupid prime minister.

Worse, Dr Noor also unveiled that at least 5 out of 20 new Covid clusters recorded yesterday were linked to house-to-house visits during the recent Hari Raya Aidilfitri festival. Earlier, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba admitted that interstate and inter-district travel during Ramadan and the Hari Raya festive period are the reasons behind the spike in Coronavirus cases.

At least 40 Covid-19 clusters related to religious activities happened throughout the fasting month until the Hari Raya celebration. Today, more and more clusters related to Hari Raya visiting has been discovered in other states. But who was the one who gave the green light to hold Ramadan bazaars, interstate and inter-district travel, and reopening of the mosques without strict SOP compliance?

In its attempt to please the Malay Muslims in exchange for support in the coming 15th General Election, the Muhyiddin regime has irresponsibly and recklessly triggered a massive nationwide Hari Raya Cluster. The screw-up was so obvious that even Sultan Ibrahim of Johor has called for the government to consider a “full lockdown”. But there’s a more critical reason why the premier backpedalled.

Both public and private sector healthcare facilities are on the brink of collapse as they have been overrun by Covid-19 patients. The writing is on the wall when several hospitals like Hospital Sungai Buloh and Hospital Selayang were forced to use refrigerated containers as makeshift morgues, and car parks turned into temporary quarantine centres for those with minor symptoms.

As the number of patients in ICU hit 808 today, hospitals are running out of space, despite steadily increasing the number of intensive care units for Covid patients to close to 1,000. Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, the largest hospital under the Ministry of Health of Malaysia, has stopped existing non-Covid patients from seeking scheduled check-up or treatments.

In fact, some healthcare workers have already started to decide which patients to admit to ICUs based on their chances of survival. This is consistent with an article we published in January (read here) – doctors may have to decide who can live and who dies. A health care worker said – “We try to accommodate all, but we don’t always have ventilators and beds.”

Malaysia Covid-19 Cases - ICU...

In an incident, a critically ill non-Coronavirus patient’s family was told to choose between taking their loved one back home to die or keeping the patient in the hospital with the same outcome. Like it or not, Malaysia has reached a stage where non-Covid patients are being turned away because the limited resources and priorities are given to Covid patients.

While the Ministry of Health has refused to acknowledge that the country now has more cases per million people than India, the situation on the ground suggests otherwise. A 51-year-old professional described how it took more than 12 hours to secure a bed at a semi-government hospital in Selangor for her 85-year-old father, who eventually died due to Covid-19.

She shared her story – “The doctor who was treating my father called every hospital in the city to try and get a bed for him once the test result came back positive. It was a stressful time for us because he was also a dialysis patient. Halfway through his treatment, the doctor called me up and hinted that he (her father) might be taking an ICU bed that is sorely needed for someone else.”

On May 20, Kedah made a shocking announcement that chronic patients who are considered to have no hope of recovery will no longer be placed in the intensive care units (ICU) at the state hospitals – whether they are Covid-19 patients or not. Dr Mohd Hayati Othman said – “I feel guilty but I feel this has to be said. Some doctors have no choice but to choose which patient needs to be admitted to the ICU.”

Two days later (May 22), Dr Noor Hisham revealed that ICUs in Klang Valley were operating at 113% capacity, while 91% of the beds in ICUs nationwide have been occupied. Intensive care units in Hospital Kajang and Hospital Banting were working at 317% and 200% capacity respectively. Hospital Sungai Buloh, the main Covid-19 hospital in Klang Valley, saw its ICU operating at 111% capacity.

As critically-ill Covid-19 patients keep increasing, the chance of non-Covid-19 patients getting treatment is being reduced accordingly. When it reaches the severity like in India, the country may see Covid-19 patients fighting among themselves for beds, ventilators, beds and even oxygen. Interestingly, before the latest full lockdown announcement, there were rumours that Dr Noor Hisham has resigned.

With medical resources being stretched to its limit due to the exponential surge in cases, not to mention the fresh 850 infections linked to Hari Raya, there’s no guarantee the full lockdown could make much difference at this stage. PM Muhyiddin’s decision might be too little, too late as the entire nation is already engulfed with Covid-19. He had wasted precious 2 weeks to implement a full lockdown. - FT

KL - Karak near Gombak Toll Plaza...

PLUS-Selatan near Sungai Besi Toll...

cheers.

27 May 2021

Teman dengor,Pasir Salak udah tak menyalak...



The swift sacking of Tajuddin Abdul Rahman as Chairman of Prasarana Malaysia Berhad is the government's way of pacifying the people following Monday's LRT train crash that injured more than 200 passengers.Tajuddin's insensitive, amateurish comments at yesterday's press conference had added insults to injuries for the victims and riled up the social media. 

The firing was done by Finance Minister, Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, via a one-paragraph letter dated today. Prasarana is under the purview of the Finance Ministry. Prasarana is under the purview of the Finance Ministry. That is to be expected because the appointments were not based so much on merits but rather to have as many MPs as possible on the government's side.- akj

Ostad already got 2 wives...
This one girlfriend lah!!!...

Patience appears to be running thin among many Malaysians who can’t wait to be vaccinated as cases continue to soar. Vaccines minister Khairy Jamaluddin has asked for a bit more time, the vaccines will come he said. He’s promised to let them choose what vaccine they want... - MG

Covid oxygen shortage – Malaysia 
could face another crisis like India...

Another day, another record Coronavirus cases and deaths for Malaysia, a country in the Southeast Asia that is still struggling with the pandemic since last year. Today (May 26), the country reported 7,478 new infections and 63 deaths – two records in a single day. Based on the increasing number of patients in the ICU every day – total 756 people – hundreds more could die.
 
The country’s Covid-19 cases are climbing so rapidly that it has already surpassed India based on daily infections per million people since Sunday (May 23). Latest statistics from Our World in Data showed that Malaysia reported on Tuesday (May 25) a jaw-dropping 205.1 cases per million people on a seven-day rolling basis, compared with India’s 150.4 cases.
 
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin single-handedly brings the total cumulative number of infections in the country to 533,367 and the death toll to 2,432 as of today. And the worst has just begun. Still, the illegitimate government has refused to bite the bullet and impose a full lockdown, arguably the only solution so far on the table, preferring to see more deaths instead.
Coronavirus - How Malaysia Covid-19 Cases Surpassed India - Chart

Despite declaring a State of Emergency, the government has failed to contain the virus – the clearest proof that it was nothing but a gimmick to cling to power after Mr Muhyiddin lost majority support in the Parliament. Malaysia is the only country in the world that has declared an emergency as well as locking up the Parliament under the pretext of fighting Coronavirus.
 
To make matters worse, the vaccination program has been at a snail’s pace. As of May 24, only 1,662,273 or 5.2% of its population of 33 million received at least 1 dose of vaccine. Malaysia is perhaps the only country in the world where its people are fighting tooth and nail to secure a slot for vaccination because the clueless and incompetent government could not care less.
 
But there’s a bigger problem that could plague the country, if the situation continues to deteriorate. Like India, where oxygen shortages have played a major part in the deaths of thousands of people in a devastating second wave, Malaysia is among more than 30 countries in the world that could face the same Covid oxygen crisis.

Daily Covid-19 cases are climbing so rapidly...

According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reports, more than 30 countries, including Fiji, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Angola and Kyrgyzstan now need at least double as much oxygen as two months ago. Oxygen is one of the only treatments for severe Covid-19 infections. Without it, as seen in India after supplies fell short, patients can suffocate.
 
This month alone, 19 countries around the world – including Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Argentina, Colombia, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Costa Rica and South Africa – need more than 50,000 cubic metres of oxygen a day for Covid patients. All these countries have a common denominator – a very poor vaccination rate, less than 1 in 10 people have received a dose of Coronavirus vaccine.
 
Even though Malaysian Health Minister Adham Baba has recently assured that the supply of medical oxygen is sufficient, claiming there are 20,000 units of portable cylinders in storage, it is unclear whether the clueless politician knows the difference between medical oxygen and industrial oxygen. Besides, oxygen manufacturing is a low-margin business, hence storage is a problem.

Adham Baba might not realize it, but converting industrial oxygen to medical oxygen is not as easy as changing clothes. The industrial oxygen cylinders need to be completely de-gassed, after which the valve has to be removed and cleaned with a cleaning solution and completely dried and flushed with air. Then, the cylinders are cleaned with detergent – both internally and externally – and degreased with a cleaning solution.

After that, the cylinders are filled with warm water, which is to be drained out, before it is dried with air. Subsequently, the cylinders are painted as required for medical oxygen. Then only they can be filled with liquid oxygen for medical purposes. Obviously, converting a cylinder is a time-consuming process, not to mention the labours involved.

After all, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin announced as early as December last year that the government will procure enough vaccines to cover more than 80% of the population. But look at what happens today, some five months later and 4 months after the vaccinations started in February this year. Not only the progress of vaccination is slow, but there’s also a short supply of vaccines.

A patient hospitalised with Covid-19 needs between 14 and 43 cubic meters of oxygen per day for roughly two weeks – an amount so great that even hospitals in Europe struggled to cope. According to Gasworld Business Intelligence, medical oxygen makes up just 1% of global liquid oxygen production, leaving the lion’s share for industries such as mining, petrochemicals and aeronautics.

Ramadan Bazaar Crowd...

Malaysia may not face major logistic problems like India in transporting oxygen. But it is not just about how much oxygen is needed, but rather how quickly demand rises. For example, Laos’ current oxygen requirement is a modest 2,124 cubic metres per day, but this is a nearly 200-fold increase from mid-March. And Laos only recorded 56 new Covid cases yesterday (May 25).

India’s neighbours – Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar – have been depending on Indian-made oxygen and equipment. When New Delhi suddenly banned all exports of liquid and cylinder oxygen as it desperately needed the commodity, all the neighbours suffer as oxygen shortages in India saw demand jumped 14 times in May compared to March.
Coronavirus - India Covid-19 Oxygen Shortage

As the virus spread from India to its neighbours, Nepal saw the need for oxygen this month skyrockets to 100 times more than it needed in March. In Sri Lanka, the demand for oxygen has risen sevenfold since mid-March. In Pakistan, as patients continue to overwhelm the public hospitals, some private hospitals have charged more than double the prices for the supply of oxygen.

In truth, many countries have overlooked the importance of medical oxygen. Money allocated would normally be used to buy ventilators and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), and Malaysia is no exception. It is only after a sudden spike in Coronavirus cases, translating to a demand for oxygen, that governments realize the short supply of oxygen.

It’s a fair assumption that Malaysia only knows about the shortage of oxygen last week, after Covid infections hit the roof as a result of dozens of clusters triggered by Ramadan bazaar, “balik kampung” exodus for Hari Raya Aidilfitri, and even the arrival and departure of passengers at Malaysian airports (548,000 international and 1.4 million domestic passengers in April alone).

Oxygen is not used only to treat Covid-19, but also is an essential medicine for pneumonia and sepsis, not to mention in anaesthesia and childbirth as well as to treat trauma and accident victims. Make no mistake. Data from Gasworld shows that many of the countries in need of the commodity would still suffer shortages even if all local oxygen production was diverted to hospitals. - FT

Bila MySejahtera tidak sejahtera,
sistem dijangkiti Covid 19 pulak...

cheers.

26 May 2021

Bala tebuk atap...


How come 2 fast moving trains in opposite directions 
can be on the same track?...

The driver of the LRT train without passengers, had driven in the wrong direction, says transport minister Wee Ka Siong. At a press conference, Wee said preliminary investigations indicate that human error was to blame for the incident last night, which resulted in 47 passengers being seriously injured.

He said the Land Public Transport Agency’s (Apad) investigations found that the train driver, or hostler, of train number 40 failed to follow the correct orientation. “Initial findings have found that the accident was caused by negligence of the hostler who was driving TR40 in the wrong direction,” he said. The hostler, who was travelling northbound, instead of south, then collided with TR81. YB Menteri yang straightforward mengaku train driver punya silap...

 No point asking this guy coz he knows nothing...

Is Makcik Kiah smiling, now?...

Just over a year ago, Muhyiddin Yassin presented the People’s Economic Stimulus Package (Prihatin), worth around RM250 billion to ease the burden of the rakyat. To illustrate the aid which the average Malaysian would receive from the government, he used a fictitious woman called “Makcik Kiah”, to show the cash support and savings she would accrue over a six month period.

In his speech in March 2020, Muhyiddin calculated that Makcik Kiah and her family would receive RM8,664 of aid over a six month period, or RM1,444 per month. He claimed that her total savings would be RM4.464. He proudly boasted, “Even Makcik Kiah can smile a little, after listening to my calculations.”

To remind readers, Muhyiddin’s Makcik Kiah sells banana fritters (goreng pisang) and lives in a government housing project. Her husband, a government pensioner, earns extra income as a Grab driver. Their daughter borrowed money from the government’s PTPTN student loan scheme. Their unmarried son lives with them.  

In reality, Makcik Kiah is livid. She does not have any savings, nor does she have the money to pay off any of her commitments, such as her rent, car loan, her electricity bill or her daughter’s student loan.

In the Prihatin package, these payments were suspended for six months. They were not waived. So, what will happen when she is forced to resume making the payments? Makcik Kiah did not save RM4,464. Deferred payments cannot be called savings. She was misled.

During the lockdown, Makcik Kiah was unable to sell goreng pisang. She could not earn any money, her husband, a Grab driver was in a similar position. As she is unable to pay her bills, Makcik Kiah will end up deeper in debt. Petty traders like her, want to know if there is a stimulus package for Small to Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs), the backbone of the economy.


Despite not being able to trade as normal, businesses still had to pay rent and service charges. Many were forced to close down and make their staff redundant. The owners and employees have loans and family commitments, such as educational loans. What help is the Finance ministry offering these people?

It is not just petty traders who are angry. Green Identity Card holders and stateless people are ineligible for aid from the state. One green IC holder said, “As far as the government is concerned, we do not exist. So how can we apply for state aid?” Many of these people are illegitimate children or children of parents who are illiterate. They were unaware that the birth of their children had to be registered.  

Friends who run soup kitchens have admitted that more people are utilising their services, so that they can at least get one decent meal a day. One attendee who joined the soup kitchen said, “Last year, I had a decent job, but when the Coronavirus pandemic worsened, my boss closed shop and fired his staff.

“I have no money to buy food and I cannot forget the photo on social media, of parliamentarians eating a meal of lobster, when outside parliament, people are starving. “Some friends get food parcels from NGOs to feed their families. We are suffering.”

The Makcik Kiahs of Malaysia are appalled by the double standards practised by the ministers. One man said, “We have the biggest cabinet in the history of Malaysia, but most are doing nothing (gaji buta) and do not deserve their exorbitant salaries. One month of their wages can ease the rakyat’s suffering”.

Ministers and civil servants have not been made redundant, and  receive special bonuses. Ordinary workers suffer pay cuts and despite the depressed business conditions, employers need money for their workers’ wages.

Another person said, “The ministers are free to travel overseas, to seek foreign investors. We can’t even travel from one district to another, like from Kuala Lumpur to Petaling Jaya, to earn a living. How fair is that?”

Double standards have angered the rakyat. Quarantine rules are relaxed for ministers. The SOP for the Coronavirus pandemic is ignored by politicians and celebrities. When they openly flout social distancing,  they were fined, only after a public outcry.


Actress Neelofa was fined RM60,000, a drop in the ocean for her, whereas a burger seller, who was cleaning the premises, after closing his stall, was told to pay a fine of RM50,000, a sum that he could ill afford.

Petty traders are also furious with the flip-flop about trading laws. After pressure from food hawkers, the government said that Ramadhan bazaars could open till 2am. The relaxation in lockdown rules after little consideration caused another spike in Coronavirus infections.

Food sellers were livid when the rules changed again and they were told they could not trade. Many demanded compensation for the food which was wasted. They said that the poor communication was both erratic and confusing. Lack of information and late announcements of school openings have angered many parents and teachers. In addition, Malaysians were appalled by the slow vaccination roll-out.

Others were angry at the lack of a concerted plan to manage the Coronavirus pandemic. The bad example set by ministers made people increasingly reluctant to observe the rules. As the disease has not been taken seriously, infections and deaths, have risen. Reports of refrigerated containers being used as temporary  morgues have caused alarm.

Unemployment, children’s futures being uncertain, and the more contagious variant of Coronavirus are all cause for concern. Makcik Kiah is not smiling, but what is the government doing to address her fears? - Mariam Mokhtar


There have been signs the Perikatan Nasional government will not impose another full lockdown like MCO 1.0. Finance minister Tengku Zafrul assured Malaysians in January that the country would not impose another lockdown no matter how bad it gets. As such, the government will not enforce a complete lockdown even though daily infection numbers soar above 10k because there is a very hefty political price to pay. How is PN going to win the election if unemployment rate soars and many in the B40 group have to go without food?

PN ministers have painted a sinister picture of another lockdown. Ismail Sabri has said lately that some household only had plain rice with salt for food during last year's MCO, while Tengku Zafrul says one million people could lose their jobs in the event of another lockdown, and that as many as 2.6 million EPF contributors have less than RM1,000 in their first account.

Meanwhile, PM Muhyiddin Yassin says the government may need another RM500 billion to help the people and revive the economy. The PN government simply cannot afford to take the risk. Now that a complete lockdown is out of question, the PN government urges the public to exercise self discipline to help contain the virus.


Health DG Noor Hisham Abdullah has asked Malaysians to conduct "self lockdown". That said, the public will only cooperate if the government has displayed strong leadership with effective anti-virus plans to win the trust of the people. Frequent SOP violation by VIPs proves that self discipline is much easier said than done.

If the enhanced version of MCO 3.0 works, and we can sustain until the end of the year when herd immunity is supposed to be achieved, then the people's livelihoods as well as the PN government can be saved. But if the vaccination progress remains sluggish and illegal migrant workers in hiding are not vaccinated, sparking an exlosive growth of infections, then it's game over for the PN government.

So far the PN government has already been tagged by many as a "failed government" (kerajaan gagal). Former health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad has highlighted, quoting statistics, that Malaysia's COVID-19 incidence rate has soared past badly hit countries like India and the United States to be among the top in the world. How are we going to lure investors and restore the country's economy if the PN government is unable to clear the country's name before the year ends? The government should not overlook this crisis, and its most pressing task now is to seek the advice of medical experts to help tame this powerful virus.Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily

cheers.

24 May 2021

Teori Pak Pandiaq...

 
Rumusan awal Bicara Khas dengan Mahiaddin Md Yassin. Dia mengaku kalau diadakan lockdown total akan merudum ekonomi negara. Dia mengaku duit tidak ada kalau buat lockdown yang memerlukan RM ¹/² trillon.

Dia juga memberi tahu dia bermesyuarat dengan menteri2 katak beberapa kali sehari keadaan ini belum pernah terjadi sebelum ini. Oh.. baru dia tahu jadi PM bukan boleh rileks. Mengenai ada tindakan double standard terhadap mereka langgar SOP dia menafikan berlaku. Mengenai kemasukan varian covid19 dari luar negara dia mengaku susah untuk mengawalnya..atas alasan sempadan negara sangat luas.

Dia juga mengaku tidak mampu untuk kawal 30 juta rakyat agar jaga diri, dalam pada itu mengaku tidak mampu untuk sediakan 100,000 penguatkuasa untuk melakukan kuatkuasa SOP.
Menghadapi masalah Covid ini negara maju juga pun tak mampu mengawalnya. Dia sudah guna teori Pak Pandiaq. Atas kelemahannya dan rakyat marah, dia sedia dimarahi rakyat. Tahu pun... - mso
Menteri Kluster ni faham maksud monopoli tak? 
Terlalu banyak makan teloq penyu,jadi camtulah...

Muhyiddin explains why 
MCO 1.0 cannot be done...

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today explained why the government cannot reimpose the same version of the movement control order (MCO) first implemented last year that saw most economic sectors shut down.

He acknowledged that the Health Ministry had recommended MCO 1.0 as the "best option" but said the impact would be severe.

Muhyiddin said the MCO 1.0 nearly led to economic collapse and required hundreds of billions to help the country's economy recover.

He added that a repeat of MCO 1.0 will likely cost even more to recover and the government did not have such resources.

"Personally... that would be the best option. It means a full closure. Factories would also close... stay at home. That would be guaranteed safety and it will make things easier for the government and Health Ministry to manage (the pandemic)," he told the host during an joint interview with Bernama TV and RTM.

Muhyiddin said when the government implemented MCO 1.0, it had no experience with the pandemic but the outcome on the economy was profound.

"It almost collapsed. It cost RM2.4 billion a day... There were no jobs. Mak Cik Kiah, Pak Salleh, Ah Chong, Ramasamy - anyone who sold things by the roadside couldn't open... the losses were huge," he added.
Muhyiddin said the government had to spend RM340 billion across six stimulus packages to revive the economy.The prime minister said MCO 1.0 could cost up to half a trillion ringgit.

"Do you have half a trillion ringgit? If you can give the amount to me for free then I can shut everything down.

"We can shut down but when we reopen the system would have collapsed," he added.

Ultimately, Muhyiddin said he was trying to balance life and livelihood.

"I don't want to see my people die due to me or the people being lax but I also do not want the economy to collapse until people cannot earn a living and we have to deliver food to homes."

As such, he said, the MCO 3.0 was based on the current circumstances.

"MCO 3.0 is slightly strict but not as strict (as MCO 1.0).

"Yesterday, we tighten it further but why not MCO 1.0? It can be done, but what about the impact? The people have to understand this," he said.

A nationwide MCO 3.0 took effect on May 12 and more stringent measures will take effect on May 25.

However, the revised MCO 3.0 stopped short of shutting down economic sectors. They mostly involved requiring more workers to work from home and shortening business hours. - mk

A. Manoharan believes that he was given reduced dosages of the AstraZeneca vaccine...

One of the recipients decided to film his injection and noticed something amiss upon reviewing the clip at home

"I looked at it and I saw it seems to be strange in terms of the dosage that is going in because I've seen other videos as well," said 48-year-old Anoogrehan Manoharan to Malaysiakini.

"I thought it was a little bit strange, but I wouldn't know, so I consulted some of my medical friends and a lot of them told me that it is very likely the dosage was smaller than required."

After that, he returned to the vaccine administration centre to complain about the issue.

He also claimed the person who injected the vaccine also did not write her name on his consent form, which he was informed is part of standard procedure. - mk

cheers.

22 May 2021

PKP - lockdown atau loklaq...



Who really profits from Covid-19?...

It’s our second year of this absurdity with Covid-19. I say absurdity while not taking this pandemic lightly. For most of us, the suffering is real.

The spike in the number of infections, the daily dose of information about the shortage of hospital beds, the armed forces being tasked to set up temporary hospitals, the country’s medical services being placed in “code blue”, the failing businesses, the loss of livelihoods and ultimately, the loss of life; are all terribly alarming.

But there’s still so much ludicrousness even during these awful times. And it’s not from the people who don’t stay home or wear the prescribed face masks. It is so easy to blame them for these spikes. Look around you, please. Most Malaysians are doing as we are told.

Picking on ordinary, helpless people who are afraid for their lives, by saying that they are the cause of these spikes is simply preposterous.Victimising the average Malaysian is akin to picking the lowest hanging fruits. We are easy pickings for the authorities and get harangued and harassed at every turn. But when you get to grips with your fear, and start to open your eyes, you begin to see more.


You see celebrities and politicians not following the prescribed protocols. Quarantine centres in shambolic and squalid conditions. Heavy-handed “little-Napoleons” issuing ridiculous summonses for exorbitant amounts of money, like the purported fine to a restaurant for allowing their staff to eat their meals at the workplace. Restaurants have been told to stop the dining-in option, but it beggars belief when we hear that casinos are open for members and high-rollers.

The powers that be, ask us to be confident and get the vaccine, while there are reports of widespread mismanagement of the whole process of disbursement. And to top it off, people who have been vaccinated then go on to contract the virus, anyway.

It really is astounding that while all these shenanigans are going on, ordinary Malaysians are constantly told that we are the root cause of the problems, because we are not adhering to the procedures. They say we are not staying at home, and because of us, doctors and frontliners are suffering by having to wear PPE suits and work to exhaustion.

Where is the confident and courageous leadership that is needed to bring Team Malaysia together?

Where is the full and unequivocal lockdown for everyone, so we can break the chain of infections?

Where is the clear definition of roles, and the standard operating procedures for everyone to follow, which more importantly gets enforced without fear, favour, or political patronage?

Where is the financial aid for people who are losing their jobs and businesses?

Forgive me for I can’t see these things clearly. So, when experts tell me that I, together with my fellow Malaysians are at fault, it just rings hollow. All I see is fearmongering, and the average Malaysian copping the blame.

Dah lulus RM3b utk beli vaksin bagi 26.5 juta Rakyat. Lepas tu balun lagi RM5b duit KWAN 
konon utk percepatkan pembelian vaksin? Bayaq kat sapa nak percepat sampai guna RM5b?... 

Who actually profits?

Big pharmaceutical companies who manufacture the vaccines, peripheral medical industries like glove, PPE, and mask suppliers, E-hailing companies (the owners, not our blessed riders), online communication giants, banks that post profits during the pandemic year, having resisted moratoriums for customers, and of course, certain sections of our government. These are the big winners from the pandemic.

Who suffers? Our parents, spouse, children, siblings, uncles and aunts, friends; you know, common folk, we are paying a high price, and bearing the brunt of this pandemic. Deaths, severe illness, loss of livelihoods, businesses being swatted like flies; this is our reality. The people who truly matter to us are being punished and squeezed beyond recognition.

Your favourite café or restaurant may soon be boarded up. Your Friday night comedy club is selling pizzas to stay afloat. Your hopes of seeing your kids off to university is hanging on the balance. The money you have squirreled away for years is depleting at a rapid rate as you are made redundant.

The frontliners are being stretched. E-hailing riders, our favourite sons and daughters over the last year, are fatigued. Medical personnel are collapsing with exhaustion. We, the people who make Malaysia, are the ones who are truly suffering.


What should we do?

Make informed choices. While we are in search of that illusive “herd-immunity” that the scientific community tells us about, don’t just be like sheeple. Be critical thinkers. Think rationally, and understand the logical connection between ideas. Reason and don’t just accept. Actively read, learn and question, rather than just passively assimilate information.

And when you learn about something, work at practicing it, instead of standing on rooftops and screaming about it. Isn’t it beginning to get a tad tedious to see your social media feeds flooded with doomsday naysayers, and vaccine propagandists? Stop rumourmongering. Mass hysteria really doesn’t help, right now.

I know that most people pass on every little nugget of information they can lay their hands on, with the good intention of helping others. But perhaps now is the time to remind ourselves of that old adage – the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Stop labelling someone as “irresponsible” or “foolish” just because they have a different opinion from you, or if they are insecure about what they should do.

We must be kind to each other, and we have to work together, but hold the right people to account. This is the only way we are going to claw our way out of this massive pit we find ourselves in. - Shankar R Santhiram

cheers.