The most important lesson of MCO is that Malaysians must learn to live with Covid-19 virus for the next 12 to 18 months or more until an effective vaccine is developed and widely available – and social distancing is the most important new normal in the post-pandemic era


Pengajaran terbesar daripada PKP ialah; rakyat Malaysia harus belajar untuk hidup bersama dengan Covid-19 untuk tempoh 12 ke 18 bulan yang akan datang, sehinggalah vaksin dibangunkan dan diberikan secara meluas — dan juga hakikat bahawa pembatasan sosial adalah perkara terpenting dalam norma kehidupan baharu pasca-wabak

Hari ini menandakan pengakhiran 4 minggu pertama perintah kawalan pergerakan (PKP) dan permulaan lanjutan kedua KP sehingga 28 April.

Pengajaran terbesar daripada PKP ialah; rakyat Malaysia harus belajar untuk hidup bersama dengan Covid-19 untuk tempoh 12 ke 18 bulan yang akan datang, sehinggalah vaksin dibangunkan dan diberikan secara meluas — dan juga hakikat bahawa pembatasan sosial adalah perkara terpenting dalam norma kehidupan baharu pasca-wabak, bukan sahaja di Malaysia, tetapi di seluruh dunia, sama ada dalam ekonomi, politik, mahupun kehidupan sosial.

Kehidupan di negara kita, mahupun seluruh dunia, tidak boleh kembali kepada norma pra-wabak Covid-19, walaupun selepas PKP dilonggarkan.

Gelombang kedua wabak ini adalah perkara yang boleh dielakkan, memandangkan gelombang pertama wabak ini hanya datang dengan peningkatan harian sebanyak satu angka yang memuncak kepada sejumlah 22 kes daripada 24 Januari sehingga 16 Februari.

Dalam tempoh sepuluh hari, di antara 16 ke 26 Februari, tidak ada sebarang kes baharu dilaporkan.

Kita perlu menyedari pengajaran daripada kecuaian kita yang telah menyebabkan terjadinya gelombang kedua ini sehingga perlunya dilaksanakan PKP bermula 18 Mac.

Harapnya, kita telahpun melepasi kemuncak gelombang kedua ini, dengan pelaksanaan PKP, kita berjaya mengelakkan situasi terburuk seperti yang dijangkakan oleh JP Morgan dan Institut Kajian Ekonomi Malaysia (MIER).

Kes Covid-19 memuncak di negara kita pada 3 April dengan 3,333 kes tanpa sebarang peningkatan mendadak di dalam tempoh tersebut dan jangkaan kes memuncak ke 6,300 menjelang pertengahan April tidak menjadi kenyataan.

Menurut Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah beberapa hari yang lepas, kadar jangkitan di Malaysia sebelum ini berada di paras 3.55 sebelum PKP dilaksanakan (di mana satu kes positif akan mengjangkiti 3.55 orang yang lain) dan kini telah turun kepada 1 dan beliau menjangkakan R0 ini akan turun ke 0.9 menjelang 14 April.

KP Kesihatan dan para petugas barisan hadapan yang sedang memerangi wabak ini harus dipuji atas usaha mereka dalam memastikan kejayaan PKP untuk memutuskan rantaian jangkitan dan menurunkan R0 Malaysia ke 0.9 (di mana satu kes positif akan mengjangkiti kurang daripada seorang individu baharu). Kita sekarang perlu menurunkan kadar R0 ini ke paras bawah daripada 0.9.

Namun pada masa yang sama, kita juga perlu bersedia untuk menghadapi gelombang baru wabak ini sehinggalah satu vaksin yang berkesan dibangunkan dalam tempoh 12 ke 18 bulan yang akan datang.

Sementara itu, Malaysia perlu belajar daripada negara lain, mengenai pengendalian wabak Covid-19, terutamanya bagaimana untuk memperkasakan infrastruktur kesihatan awam dalam negara bagi melindungi para petugas barisan hadapan dan untuk meningkatkan keupayaan negara untuk melakukan ujian saringan, penjejakan, dan rawatan.

Di peringkat antarabangsa pula, terdapat berita baik dan buruk.

Di United Kingdom, Perdana Menteri Britain Boris Johnson sudah dilepaskan daripada unit rawatan rapi selepas dirawat selama tiga hari kerana jangkitan Covid-19, tetapi beliau menyatakan yang beliau tidak akan terus kembali bertugas kerana beliau masih memerlukan masa untuk pulih sepenuhnya.

Dalam satu rakaman video, Johnson merakamkan rasa terima kasih kepada para petugas kesihatan Perkhidmatan Kesihatan Kebangsaaan (NHS), mengatakan yang: “Saya terhutang nyawa dengan mereka”.

Namun begitu, keadaan kekal suram di United Kingdom dengan jumlah kematian keseluruhan di negara tersebut telah pun melepasi paras 10,000 menjelang hari Ahad Easter yang lepas, dengan 717 lagi kematian baharu dalam tempoh 24 jam yang lepas, menjadikan UK sebagai negara kelima yang mempunyai kematian melebihi 10,000. Setakat hari ini, tujuh negara telah melepasi paras 3,341 kematian yang direkodkan di China, iaitu:

Amerika Syarikat 23,555 kematian (5.0%)
Itali 20,465 kematian (12.8%)
Sepanyol 17,756 kematian (10.4%)
Perancis 14,967 kematian (10.9%)
United Kingdom 11.329 kematian (12.8%)
Iran 4,585 kematian (6.2%)
Belgium 3,903 kematian (12.8%)
China 3,341 kematian (4.1%)

Keadaan kekal suram di United Kingdom dengan pihak berkuasa negara tersebut menjangkakan Britain bakal menjadi negara dengan kadar kematian tertinggi di Eropah, dengan lebih kurang 30,000 korban nyawa.

Dari kalangan 119,410 nyawa yang telah terkorban di sekitar dunia akibat Covid-19 termasuklah para doktor, jururawat, pakar bedah, petugas penjagaan, dan pembantu kesihatan, termasuklah mereka yang kembali bekerja walaupun sudah pencen sebelum ini, untuk membantu usaha memerangi wabak ini.

Kritikan terhadap respons kerajaan UK daripada para petugas kanan dan pemimpin politik dalam pengendalian wabak ini kian bertambah, terutamanya di atas kegagalan kerajaan mereka untuk mendapatkan lebih banyak kelengkapan pelindungan diri dan kekurangan ujian saringan kepada NHS dan petugas rumah jagaan.

Kita perlu belajar daripada tragedi di UK, Amerika Syarikat, Itali, Sepanyol, Perancis, dan negara-negara lain untuk memperkasakan infrastruktur kesihatan awam dalam negara bagi melindungi para petugas barisan hadapan bagi memastikan mereka dibekalkan dengan perkakasan pelindungan diri secukupnya dan untuk meningkatkan keupayaan negara untuk melakukan ujian saringan, penjejakan, dan rawatan supaya para petugas kesihatan ini tidak menjadi korban dalam perjuangan melawan wabak ini.

Antara peristiwa suran yang direkodkan di peringkat antarabangsa adalah seperti berikut:

1. Jumlah kes disahkan di seluruh dunia kini berjumlah 1,851,573 kes dengan 114,175 kematian. Wabak ini mengambil 91 hari untuk mencapai sejuta yang pertama, dan dijangkakan akan mengambil dua minggu untuk mencapai sejuta yang kedua pada hari ini. Enam negara telah melepasi China dari segi jumlah kes yang disahkan, iaitu:

Amerika Syarikat 584,862 kes
Sepanyol 170,099 kes
Itali 159,516 kes
Perancis 136,779 kes
Jerman 129,207 kes
United Kingdom 88,621 kes
China 82,160 kes

2. Amerika Syarikat kini merupakan pusat penularan utama wabak Covid-19, dengan merekodkan 584,862 kes dan 23,555 kematian. AS merekodkan kes pertamanya pada 20 Januari, hari yang sama kes pertama direkodkan di Korea Selatan, tetapi Korea Selatan berjaya mengekalkan jumlah kes positif di negara tersebut pada paras 10,537 kes dengan 217 kematian, menjadi tanda aras global dalam usaha untuk mendatarkan lengkungan jangkitan. Manakala negeri New York pula telah mencapai satu tanda aras suram di mana negeri tersebut mempunyai jumlah kes positif tertinggi berbanding dengan semua negara dalam dunia selain daripada Amerika Syarikat. Negeri tersebut merekodkan 188,694 kes yang disahkan, lebih tinggi daripada jumlah kes di Sepanyol (170,099 kes), sebuah negara yang mempunyai lebih ramai penduduk daripada New York. Wabak ini sedang membunuh warga New York pada kadar melampau, di mana daripada 23,555 kematian yang direkodkan di AS, 9,385 kematian datang daripada New York, hampir 40%. Kadar kematian di New York direkodkan pada paras 4.9% berbanding dengan kadar 4% di bahagian lain negara tersebut.

3. Di ASEAN, Filipina telah mengambil tempat Malaysia sebagai negara dengan kes Covid-19 tertinggi: 4,932 kes dengan 315 kematian berbanding dengan 4,817 kes dan 77 kematian di Malaysia. Negara ketiga di ASEAN adalah Indonesia dengan 4,557 kes dan 399 kematian.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada hari Selasa 14 April 2020)

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Today marks the end of the four-week movement control order (MCO) and the beginning of the second extension of the MCO till April 28.

The most important lesson of the MCO is that Malaysians must learn to live with Covid-19 virus for the next 12 to 18 months or more until an effective vaccine is developed and widely available – and social distancing is the most important new normal in the post-pandemic era, not only in Malaysia but in the world, whether in economics, politics or social life.

Life in Malaysia or the world cannot return to pre-Covid-19 pandemic even after the lifting of the movement control order (MCO).

We should have been spared the second wave of the Covid-19 outbreak, as the first wave of the outbreak registered single-digit daily increases and reached a total of 22 cases from January 24 to Feb. 16.

In the ten days from Feb. 16 – 26, there was no new case of Covid-19.

We must learn the expensive lesson of our inattention and negligence which allowed the second wave of the Covid-19 outbreak to take place and caused the imposition of the MCO on 18th March.

Hopefully we have passed the peak of the second wave of the Covid-19 outbreak, as with the imposition of the MCO, we have avoided the worst prognosis made by JP Morgan and the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER).

Instead of the second wave of Covid-19 outbreak peaking about 6,300 cases in mid-April, there was no exponential surge because of the MCO and it peaked on April 3 with 3,333 cases.

Since then , the curve has plateaued with daily increases ranging from 109 to 184 cases – and in the two weeks to April 28, we hope to see the daily increases to further reduce to two-digit and even single-digit figures.

According to the Health Director-General Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah a few days ago, Malaysia’s infective rate, Covid-19 R0, was 3.55 prior to the MCO (i.e. a positive case would have an infection rate of 3.55 persons) which has been brought down to 1 and he expects the R0 will be 0.9 by April 14.

The Health Director-General and frontliners fighting the invisible war against the coronavirus must be commended for ensuring the effectiveness of the MCO in breaking the chain of Covid-19 infections, bringing Malaysia’s R0 down to 0.9 (i.e. a positive case would only have an infection rate of less than one person). We must now bring the R0 further down below 0.9.

But we must also be prepared for new waves of Covid-19 outbreak until an effective vaccine is developed in 12 – 18 month’s time or more.

In the meantime, Malaysia must constantly learn from other countries in the handling of Covid-19 pandemic in particular how to strengthen our public health infrastructure to protect our frontliners and to ramp up Covid-19 testing, tracing and treating capabilities.

On the international front, there is both good and bad news.

In the United Kingdom, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU) after being treated for three days for Covid-19 but he will not immediately return to work as he has still to finish his recovery.

In a video, Johnson paid tribute to the medical workers with the National Health Service (NHS), saying: “I owe them my life”.

However, it is bleak times for the United Kingdom as total Covid-19 death toll rose above 10,000 on Easter Sunday and chalked up another 717 deaths in the past 24 hours to make UK one of the Big Five countries with total death toll exceeding 10,000 deaths. There are now seven countries which have surpassed China’s total death toll of 3,341, viz:

United States 23,555 deaths (5.0%)
Italy: 20,465 deaths (12.8%)
Spain: 17,756 deaths (10.4%)
France: 14,967 deaths (10.9%)
United Kingdom: 11,329 deaths (12.8%)
Iran: 4,585 deaths (6.2%)
Belgium: 3,903 deaths (12.8%)
China: 3,341 deaths (4.1%)

The prospects in United Kingdom become all the bleaker with government forecast that Britain risks having the highest death toll from the novel coronavirus in Europe in the region of 30,000 deaths.

Among the 119,410 people in the world who had died with coronavirus are doctors, nurses, surgeons, care workers, healthcare assistants and porters, including doctors and nurses who came out of retirement to fight the invisible war against Covid-19.

There is growing criticism in UK against the government’s response to the pandemic from senior medics and political leaders, particularly over its failure to get enough personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing to National Health Service (NHS) and care home workers.

We must learn from the tragic lessons in UK, the United States, Italy, Spain, France and other countries to strengthen our public health infrastructure to protect our frontliners to ensure they are provided with the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and to ramp up Covid-19 testing, tracing and treating capabilities to ensure that they do not become casualties in the invisible war against the coronavirus.

The grim milestones on the international front in the Covi-19 pandemic include:

1. The global total of confirmed Covid-19 cases now stands at 1,851,573 with 114,175 deaths. It took 91 days from the first reported case to reach the first million mark, and it will take two weeks to reach the second million mark some time today. Six countries now surpass China in the total number of confirmed cases, viz:

United States: 584,862 cases
Spain: 170,099 cases
Italy: 159,516 cases
France: 136,779 cases
Germany: 129,207 cases
United Kingdom: 88,621 cases
China: 82,160 cases

2. United States has become the foremost epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic, recording 584,862 confirmed cases, with 23,555 deaths. United States registered the first case of Covid-19 as South Korea on January 20, but South Korea has kept its confirmed cases to 10,537 cases and 217 deaths, setting the gold standard of flattening the curve. New York state has also established a tragic milestone, as it has more Covid-19 patients than any country in the world, aside from the United States. The state’s total of 188,694 cases is higher than Spain’s (170,099 cases) and Italy’s (159,516), countries with populations many times larger than New York. The disease is killing New Yorkers disproportionately. Of the 23,555 deaths in the United States, 9,385 or 40%, have occurred in New York. Its mortality rate is 4.9%, compared with 4% in the rest of the country

3. In ASEAN, Philippines has overtaken Malaysia in having the most number of confirmed Covid-19 cases: 4,932 cases with 315 deaths as compared to Malaysia’s 4,817 cases with 77 deaths. Third is Indonesia with total number of 4,557 Covid-19 cases with 399 deaths.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Tuesday, 14th April 2020)

  1. #1 by Bigjoe on Tuesday, 14 April 2020 - 8:26 pm

    Actually a good revelation of MCO is how Muhiyiddin stick to fundamental of governance despite the unprecedented challenges and difficult political makeup of his coalition.

    Frankly Pakatan should consider proposing to Muhiyiddin, drop UMNO-PAS and Azmin and Muhiyiddin can be PM, Anwar give it up but only if next PM after Muhiyiddin comes from Pakatan

  2. #2 by winstony on Tuesday, 14 April 2020 - 8:44 pm

    The greatest danger is that Covid19 can be similar to H1N1 which has evolved into H5N1 over time.
    A Flu vaccine has been around for a long time although it must be given on a yearly basis to be effective because of the mutation of the Flu virus.
    On top of that, I understand that the Flu vaccine is quite expensive and not many Malaysians can afford to be vaccinated, let alone on a yearly basis.
    Even if a cure is found for Covid19, there is no telling that there won’t be a newer version in the future.
    So, we may end up firefighting forever.
    Ideally, a solution must be found to destroy all bacteria and viruses so that mankind will be free from this scourge.
    Once and for all.

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