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.

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.

PKP - lockdown atau loklaq...

Sampai Australia depa propa...

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.

Kepala otak dia lagi!...

The whole nation is suffering and you have a politician who thinks playing politics is more important than saving lives...Scam??? or are U trying to squeeze something from the donor???

An employee of a Hong Kong-based private company that offered two million doses of the Sinovac vaccine to the Penang government said that it was a genuine offer.Yong Chee Kong, 58, said it was unfair for a federal minister to label the offer made by him and Xintai Enterprise Development Ltd, an investment company, a “scam”.

According to Yong, his Hong Kong-based employer had told him to write to the Penang government to offer the vaccines after their letter to the Sabah government was rejected by the health ministry last January. “That’s why I had to go to an opposition state,” he said, when contacted by FMT. Read full story here, here and here.

Dimaklumkan pegawai KJ sendiri dah contact Yong Chee Kong tu dan minta bagi duit kepada syarikat di KL (Pharmaniaga?) untuk beli vaksin.Yong tak mahu sebab dia tahu kos vaksin berapa dan nak derma vaksin bukan duit.  Jadi Pegawai KJ mana satu yang dah contact si Yong ni dan suruh beli melalui Pharmaniaga? Jadi siapa sebenarnya yang bogus dan siapa yang scam ni?...

Btw, if the person wants to donate vaccines, ask him to send it over to Penang. Then you can go check the goods when it arrives. Focus on the end goal...  But dont instruct that person to buy the vaccine from Pharmaniaga and donate!...

Let states procure vaccines on their own...

It is sheer stupidity for Khairy to demand proof of having ordered the vaccine when he himself has along refused permission for Penang to receive the donated vaccines. It is like putting the cart before the horse.  Shouldn’t the approval come before the order, and not after?

If Khairy is sincere and genuinely has the interests of the people at heart, shouldn’t he have just welcome and expressed gratitude for the donation and let the Penang state government handle the rest?

Lastly, is it reasonable for Khairy to ask for the donation to be made to the Federal government, and in cash? And I think donor Yong has made the right decision when he wisely said that he refused to pay to “a company in Kuala Lumpur” as he would procure the vaccines himself at much cheaper cost... - Kim Quek

You dont need to be Muslim 

to stand up for Gaza...

Kepala otak dia!...

Lim Guan Eng hari ini menzahirkan kemarahannya atas tindakan Kementerian Kesihatan yang menolak permohonan kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang menerima sumbangan dua juta dos vaksin Sinovac.

Bekas ketua menteri Pulau Pinang itu menyifatkan tindakan tersebut sebagai 'jenayah kerajaan Perikatan Nasional'  kerana menghalang vaksin itu diberikan kepada golongan yang belum menerimanya. 

What is usually a calm atmosphere at the Penang chief minister’s press conference became tense today when DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng hurled criticism at the federal government for rejecting two million Covid-19 vaccine doses from a private company.

Lim, who was invited to today’s press conference, blurted “kepala otak dia” (what are they thinking) in reference to the Perikatan Nasional (PN) federal government’s move. He also described PN’s rejection of the vaccines as a crime.

“Political donations are allowed, vaccine donations are not allowed. Kepala otak dia!

“I’m sorry, I’m very angry. How can this happen? If we receive two million doses of the vaccine, we can save many people,” Lim said in Komtar today.

Earlier, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow revealed that the Penang government had in February received a donation of two million vaccine doses from a private company as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.

However, the state government’s application to accept the vaccine, which was made through an official letter to the secretary-general of the Health Ministry, was rejected on March 12. The rejection was made on the grounds that the government had already designed and implemented a nationwide Covid-19 immunisation programme. - theVibes

However, Lim felt that the state government should accept the free vaccines and deal with the consequences later.

“I want to propose to Chow, just take it. If they (Putrajaya) want to punish us, let them do it. What's wrong with this country? Rejecting free vaccines!” he thundered.

“I propose that the state government take it and let them (the authorities) confiscate it (the vaccines). I will leave it to Chow and the state government to handle this, but this is a crime,” he added. Lim, who noted that the people were furious over the issue, was unable to contain his own feeling of indignation on the matter. - mk

Who is afraid of UMNO and DAP 

working together?...

The chance meeting between Wanita Umno chief Noraini Ahmad and Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming (below), characterised by some as some sort of “normalisation” of a possible political hook-up and denounced as fitnah by others, is the kind of immature politics that defines mainstream narratives in this country. The reality is that there are elements in the Malay political establishment that do not want to see any cooperation between the two biggest race-supported parties in this country.

Those who wish such support are compromised and, therefore, have to walk that fine line between trolling the current Perikatan Nasional (PN) government and establishing some sort of rapport till a possible post-election game-changer would necessitate an Umno/DAP hook-up.

The biggest stumbling block coming from the DAP - besides the often conflicted and confused rhetoric from political operatives - is that the DAP will not work with tainted leaders. This, of course, is complete horse manure. The DAP, by making its Faustian bargain and working with Bersatu, demonstrated that working with morally suspect and corruption-tainted politicians was not an impediment to “saving Malaysia”.

Indeed, when Pakatan Harapan briefly formed the federal government, and Bersatu was accepting Umno frogs, the DAP bent over backward attempting to justify why Bersatu accepting Umno members was part of the grand plan to save Malaysia.

Meanwhile, the Umno grassroots who for decades were fattened by the propaganda and resultant entitlements that came with demonising the DAP, have to be reoriented that working with the DAP was not the end of bangsa and agama.

Wanita Umno chief Noraini Ahmad and Bangi DAP MP Ong Kian Ming

Honestly, I do not see this as much of a hurdle because as far as partisans are concerned, Harapan and Umno, it is much as how Orwell defined doublethink - “Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.”

Any sort of cooperation, of course, would have to happen after the dust settles in the next general election - if we have one - as many strategists in Umno and the DAP have said. And, of course, any form of cooperation would be defined by how PKR positions itself as the only viable contender for the crown of Putrajaya.

What the DAP brings to any kind of coalition is the majority backing of a voting demographic and, hence, they can claim to be the “voice” of the community on secular and egalitarian issues. The fact that they have to downplay such aspirations proves how well they can play with weak factions of the Malay political establishment.

Now, imagine if they could do this with Umno, which is a vital part of the Malay power structure, and work on a reform agenda which many in Umno know needs to be carried out if Malaysia is to remain a viable democracy and not some sort of theocratic nightmare.

There are many in Harapan who believe that any sort of cooperation with Umno is untenable and what they wish to see is Umno continuing to implode and Harapan achieving some sort of landslide in the next GE, which could mean that Harapan (with its allies) are in a position to dictate terms or secure enough seats to reject any cooperation with Umno.

After decades of witnessing the power plays between two coalitions, I see no need to replicate the formula that brought us to this mess in the first place. And by formula I mean coalitions of "unequals" pretending to be unified in political ideology when there was no common framework beyond appeasement.

The fact that governments could collapse may seem like an unstable political and economic gambit but this is a far better proposition than what the previous stability brought us, which was the radicalisation of the majority and the polarisation of the minority.

An Umno elected official who falls neatly into the moderate camp but who is aligned with someone from the "court cluster", tells me that working with the DAP would be far better for Malaysia than working with theocratic PAS, even if it meant more “headaches”.

And therein lies the rub. These headaches are not really genuine policy issues but rather manufactured outrages, to demonstrate the superiority of race and religion through the political apparatus. All of this has to stop of course, because in these pandemic days, the economic and social reality of decades of political neglect is coming home to roost.

I welcome the aftermath of the next GE because it would force disparate political power groups to attempt to form a government and nobody will be secure in their positions. The Sheraton Move was an attempt to define what a Malay uber alles (above all) government could do, and what they have proved is that unity based on race and religion is not feasible, especially when it comes to the urban/rural dichotomy.

What is driving Malaysia apart is the fact that the illusory nature of political stability based on the “social contract” was broken by, first, the ouster of Anwar Ibrahim from Umno paradise and the gradual erosion of federal BN power, which culminated in the brief Harapan win the in the last election. Do not fear the political instability that comes, but rather fear the further fossilisation, if Umno and DAP never find common ground, however they define it.- S Thayaparan,mk

cheers.

Salam Syawal...

Naik kapai selam gerenti takdak roadblock...

Balik Raya Traffic Jam...

CCTV images allegedly taken near the Gombak toll plaza on the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway (E8) captured a trail of vehicles caught in a traffic jam heading into the city...Discussions on social media reveal that the public is generally angry, scared and disappointed over the number of vehicles seen entering KL despite the enforcement of the nationwide MCO and a strict ‘no balik kampung’ rule made by the government. Some concluded that the heavy traffic was caused by the ‘balik KL’ crowd who are returning to the city after Hari Raya – allegedly breaking state and district travel restrictions in the process. - msn news

cheers.

SOP- Semua Orang Pening...

Lencun rakyat kena kencing...

Sekarang ini rakyat gelisah dengan SOP yang cepat berubah dan darurat.  Kata kerajaan, darurat bertujuan untuk mengatasi Covid-19 tetapi terbukti dengan darurat, Covid semakin mengganas.Apabila rakyat sudah hilang keyakinan, maka kerajaan buatlah pengumuman apapun, rakyat kurang ambil peduli.  Keluarlah apa hasil survey dari pusat penyelidikan manapun tentang kehebatan pemimpin dan kerajaan PN, rakyat memandangnya hanya sebagai propaganda politik. - Prof.Agus

MCO: Malaysia Cincai Order?...

MCO 3.0 is being implemented in several areas in the country due to the deteriorating COVID-19 outbreak. As soon as the new SOPs are unveiled, many people would assert, as they usually do, that MCO 3.0 is going to fail. A friend has even offered MCO a new definition on Facebook: Menteri Cincai Order.

"I have to admit that MCO 2.0 has failed. This can be proven with the rising R-0 and daily new infection numbers," public health expert Dr Hanafiah has told Sin Chew Daily in an interview. He said MCO 2.0 failed because of several reasons, including opening of social activities and educational institutions while the number of new cases was still rising. Even members of the public and medical frontliners are confused about the SOPs. The equally confusing MCO 3.0 will not make anyone any more optimistic that it can put the virus under effective control.

Dr Hanafiah is not alone. Medical frontliners, patients struggling and fighting for life on hospital beds are also under tremendous psychological and mental stress. They all need some space to breathe. Is that a kind of punishment for these people? In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was punished with rolling an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll down every time it neared the top, over and again. This picture reflects what we are going through right now in our fight against the heinous coronavirus.

Fighting the virus shouldn't be a kind of punishment. Rolling the boulder up the hill (battling the virus) is our goal. It's for the safety of ourselves and the society at large. We need to work very much harder to free ourselves from the predicament by rolling the boulder up the hill with concerted effort, and try not to let it roll down again and kill more innocent people and create more havoc.

Why have we made very minimal progress in our battle against the virus? Menteri Cincai Order is one of the reasons, while public exhaustion from over a year of fights and lockdowns is another. The war can only be won with concerted effort from all. Our problem now is: this Menteri Cincai Order has now evolved into a bigger Malaysia Cincai Order!

Ministers and politicians have been trifling with the rules for their own political interests. Lack of actions against VIPs flouting the SOPs and selective enforcement will only encourage complacency among the enforcers, from top down, thinking that there's no big deal about it. But it is a really big deal now!

Some say we cannot count on the government alone to win the war against the virus, as self-discipline is of utmost importance. Very true, but as as we are disciplining ourselves, we must also not neglect that we have an obligation to oversee the government and highlight the many irregularities with the SOPs. If the government becomes complacent,it is the rakyat and the entire nation that will eventually suffer. 

We need to work together in unison to stop the virus, as pointed out in a letter to the media from retired doctor Dato' Dr Amar-Singh HSS. He said there was room for improvement in screening individuals, contact tracing, drawing up SOPs, implementing the immunization program, communicating with the public on the side effects of vaccines, as well as the emergency measures to tackle the mutant variants. "If the MOH is short on resources, tell the public," he said.

Indeed, in fighting the virus including tackling major day-to-day issues of the people and emergency incidents, we cannot afford to be intransparent. Members of the public must be adequately informed and prepared for any untoward incident. And improved transparency will help boost public confidence towards the government.

Currently there is a very obvious dearth of confidence among the public in the government, especially in view of the fact that many VIPs have failed to set a good example by dutifully adhering to the government SOPs. The ubiquitous double standards in law enforcement has affected the people's willingness to abide by the rules. If even the VIPs have failed to comply with the SOPs, then the government should not put the blame on the rakyat when the situation worsens.

The government cannot issue directives to the people in the absence of adequate transparency and external supervision. They think they know best, and have drawn up the SOPs that will be enforced on all of us except themselves. If the people see that VIPs join in the effort to stop the virus, sure enough they will be willing to get involved too, by working wholeheartedly with the government to battle the virus in hope of achieving the best results within the shortest time possible.

Malaysians have become so sick of some of the ministers who only make inappropriate comments but have not put in much effort to fight the virus. As if that is not enough they also create trouble for the ministers and technocrats who actually work very hard to stop the virus. We are already under tremendous pressure to make ends meet and we do not want to hear more of the nonsensical remarks of some of these minsters.

As a matter of fact, the government does have a set of good and effective measures to deal with the pandemic, including the HIDE (Hotspots Identification for Dynamic Engagement) system set up by CPRC (Crisis Preparedness And Response Center) with the use of big data analysis and artificial intelligence. This is a forewarning system that identifies possible COVID-19 hot spots and takes the necessary preventive measures to prevent a new infection cluster. Yesterday, the HIDE system listed a total of 151 high risk areas in the country.

Science, technology and innovation minister Khairy Jamaluddin has said the list is to help people get adequately prepared and make a wise deicision before visiting specific places or shops in a id to avert the risk of being infected. I believe that with HIDE, Malaysians will cooperate and take care of their own safety. The question is: will our VIPs cooperate, too?

We cannot afford to fight the war any longer. Our economy and the livelihoods of countless of Malaysians are struggling. We do not want to be another Sisyphus, doing the whole thing over and again in vain until eternity.- Chong Lip Teck, Sin Chew Daily

cheers.