I hate to say this but at the rate the government is going, 2021 is going to be very much the same.
If Ministers reprimand civil servants who try to get entertainers travelling from a red zone to Sarawak quarantined, then we are doomed.
If mass gatherings to usher in the New Year are more important, then bigger Covid-19 cases will welcome us in 2021.
And what’s with allowing for Thaipusam to go on, when it attracts thousands of devotees? Is this because we are yet to have a temple cluster?
We certainly did way better with adhering to protocols in March and the few months that followed.
But now that we are having four-digit cases everyday, it’s perfectly okay to flounder? Especially when those who have tested positive are forced to wait in their homes due to insufficient hospital beds? Are we for real?
While I admit a large percentage of the cases involve migrant workers, does that mean the infection hasn’t also spread to the community? And have we not realised that we are not testing undocumented workers?
And thanks to the government going back on its words and detaining them, chances of us finding and persuading them to get tested are slim.
Have we really learnt a lesson? The rubber glove factory in Klang escaped shutdown and was slapped with a mere RM1000 fine for not complying with Covid-19 preventive measures and providing appalling accommodation for their workers.
In comparison, how many poor Malaysians were issued with heavier fines and even jail term for failing to scan QR codes using the My Sejahtera application?
I get so frustrated and angry every time my phone beeps and it’s a message from Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN) reminding us to practise social distancing, wear face masks and use sanitisers as a way of fighting Covid-19 together.
Do the Ministers, filthy-rich corporates and others who care two hoots about following the Standard Operating Protocol get these messages, I wonder.
We, the ordinary Malaysians, follow protocols and SOPs. It’s about time politicians and owners of conglomerates do so too.
I really want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. But the government has to cooperate with us, “simple” folks, in order for anything to be joyous come the new year.
I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping the government would do the right thing, with consistency.
Charles Santiago
Member of Parliament Klang
