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Malaysia reported 3,332 new cases of Covid-19 yesterday, the second day in a row that infections have exceeded the 3,000 mark, while for the previous 13 days, the daily increase of new Covid-19 cases were over 2,000 figures.

Many questions have to be asked, but the most important one is why Malaysia is performing worse than countries which have not declared a national emergency.

In the sixth monthly Bloomberg Covid Resilience Ranking released on April 26, 2021, Malaysia fell two rungs and was ranked No. 20.

None of the 19 countries higher ranked than Malaysia, led by Singapore and followed by New Zealand, Australia, Israel, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, UAE, Finland, Hong Kong, Vietnam, China, Thailand, Denmark, Norway, Saudi Arabia, US, UK and Canada, have declared national emergencies or suspended Parliament to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, yet they have performed better or shown greater national resilience than Malaysia.

Out of these 19 countries with higher Covid Resilience Ranking, Malaysia lost out to ten countries in East Asia, ASEAN and Pacific which have better “Total Cases per 1 million population” and “Deaths per 1 million population” indices, namely Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, China and Thailand while the other nine countries have higher “Total cases per 1 million population” and “Deaths per 1 million population” indices, namely Israel, UAE, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Saudi Arabia, US, UK and Canada.

Recent developments have supported the statement by community activist, Dr. Mohamed Rafick Khan that there is no point looking at daily positive tested cases because the disease is already in the population.

The “Tests/per 1 million population” index shows that of the 19 nations ranked ahead of Malaysia in the April 2021 Bloomberg Covid Resilience Index, Malaysia is ahead of six countries, namely Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, China and Thailand in this index but behind 13 other countries.

The “Test/per 1 million population” index for the these 20 countries in the April 2021 Bloomberg Covid Resilience Index are:

Nation (Cumulative Total Ranking) – Test/1 million population

Singapore (104) – 1,619,618
New Zealand (178) – 402,539
Australia (119) – 651,505
Israel (29) – 1,543,894
Taiwan (192) – 22,624
South Korea (86) – 171,634
Japan (38) – 92,759
UAE (40) -4,395,501
Finland (97) – 803,518
Hong Kong (145) – 1,483,190
Vietnam (177) – 26,502
China (95) – 111,163
Thailand (103) – 116,162
Denmark (62) – 6,403,542
Norway (88) – 951,529
Saudi Arabia(42) – 475,765
USA (1) – 1,339,328
UK (7) – 2,274,470
Canada (22) – 820,038
Malaysia (43) – 285,379

As Dr. Rafick said, with the declaration of emergency on January 12, 2021, the government should be able to introduce a more focussed and targeted strategy to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and stop using one rule for the whole country.

Has the jumbo-sized Muhyiddin Cabinet ever considered this question why other countries could be better performers in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic without declaring an emergency or suspending Parliament?

Even the United States has made a great turn-around after being the worst country in the world fighting the Covid-19 pandemic under President Donald Trump, who left office on January 20, 2021 with 25 million Covid-19 cases and 400,000 fatalities, with daily increase of new Covid-19 cases exceeding 200,000 cases in his last six weeks on office, reaching as high as 307,507 new Covid-19 cases on January 8, 2021.

Since Biden’s inauguration as US President on January 20, 2021, daily increase of new Covid-19 cases have come down as low as 42,098 cases on April 25.

Now, there is race against time between the virus and the vaccine.

Biden’s major COVID-19 promise was 100 million shots in Americans’ arms by his first 100 days in office. Some 290 million shots have been distributed, more than 230 million administered, and about 96 million Americans are fully vaccinated, 29% of the population.

The United States has now vaccinated more people than any other country, although the pandemic has killed 572,000 people, more than any other country as well.

Over 3,000 people were dying per day when Biden took office. Now that figure is under 700 a day.

Biden’s next 100 days will force him to face vaccine hesitancy among millions of Americans and an uptick in variants of the virus.

But in Malaysia, we are struggling to bring the third Covid wave – longest in the world – under control by reducing the daily increase of new Covid cases to triple and later double-digit figures.

But there is clear danger that before the third Covid wave could be brought under control, a more deadlier fourth Covid wave would escalate in the coun

The antidote to the fourth Covid wave is to immediately convene Parliament to spearhead an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” strategy and approach in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic – a call which I had made for a whole year but which had fallen on deaf ears!

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, 30th April 2021)

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#kerajaangagal13 — mengapa negara tanpa darurat boleh mempunyai prestasi melawan Covid-19 yang lebih baik berbanding dengan Malaysia yang berada di bawah darurat selama empat bulan dengan penggantungan Parlimen?

Malaysia mencatatkan 3,332 kes baharu Covid-19 semalam, hari kedua berturut-turut dengan kadar jangkitan di atas paras 3,000 kes sementara 13 hari sebelum ini, kadar jangkitan tidak pernah turun bawah daripada 2,000 kes sehari.

Banyak persoalan perlu ditanyakan, tetapi yang paling penting sekali, mengapa prestasi negara kita dalam melawan Covid-19 lebih buruk berbanding dengan negara yang tidak pun mengisytiharkan darurat.

Dalam penerbitan keenam Bloomberg Covid Resilience Ranking yang diterbitkan pada 26 April 2021, negara kita telah jatuh dua anak tangga ke tempat ke-20.

Tidak ada satu pun daripada 19 negara di atas kita yang diketuai oleh Singapura dan diikuti oleh New Zealand, Australia, Israel, Taiwan, Korea Selatan, Jepun, UAE, Finland, Hong Kong, Vietnam, China, Thailand, Denmark, Norway, Arab Saudi, AS, UK dan Kanada telah mengumumkan perintah darurat atau menggantung Parlimen untuk melawan wabak Covid-19, tetapi mereka mencatatkan prestasi yang lebih baik berbanding dengan Malaysia.

Daripada 19 negara ini, sepuluh berada di kawasan Asia Timur, ASEAN, dan kawasan serantau Pasifik mempunyai indeks “kes per sejuta penduduk” dan “kematian per sejuta penduduk” yang lebih baik, iaitu Singapura, New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan, Korea Selatan, Jepun, Hong Kong, Vietnam, China dan Thailand manakala sembilan negara lain pula mempunyai indeks yang lebih tinggi iaitu Israel, UAE, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Arab Saudi, AS, UK dan Kanada.

Perkembangan terkini menyokong kenyataan daripada aktivis komuniti, Dr Mohamed Rafick Khan yang mengatakan tidak ada gunanya lagi untuk melihat kadar kes harian, memandangkan wabak ini kini telah berada di dalam komuniti.

Indeks “ujian per sejuta penduduk” menunjukkan bahawa Malaysia berada di hadapan enam negara, Taiwan, Korea Selatan, Jepun, Vietnam, China, dan Thailand, tetapi berada di belakang 13 negara lain. Carta indeks ini adalah seperti berikut:

Negara (Kedudukan Keseluruhan Kumulatif) – Ujian/1 juta penduduk

Singapura (104) – 1,619,618
New Zealand (178) – 402,539
Australia (119) – 651,505
Israel (29) – 1,543,894
Taiwan (192) – 22,624
Korea Selatan (86) – 171,634
Jepun (38) – 92,759
UAE (40) – 4,395,501
Finland (97) – 803,518
Hong Kong (145) – 1,483,190
Vietnam (177) – 26,502
China (95) – 111,163
Thailand (103) – 116,162
Denmark (62) – 6,403,542
Norway (88) – 951,529
Arab Saudi (42) – 475,765
Amerika Syarikat (1) – 1,339,328
UK (7) – 2,274,470
Kanada (22) – 820,038
Malaysia (43) – 285,379

Seperti yang dikatakan Dr Rafick, dengan pengisytiharan darurat pada 12 Januari 2021, kerajaan sepatutnya boleh memperkenalkan strategi yang lebih tersusun dan bersasar untuk melawan wabak Covid-19 dan berhenti menggunakan satu peraturan untuk keseluruhan negara.

Adakah Kabinet gergasi Muhyiddin pernah memikirkan persoalan mengenai mengapa negara lain boleh mengawal wabak ini dengan lebih baik tanpa perlu mengisytiharkan darurat atau menggantung sidang Parlimen?

Malah, Amerika Syarikat juga berjaya beralih arah selepas menjadi negara terburuk di dunia di bawah pimpinan Donald Trump yang meninggalkan pejabat presiden pada 20 Januari 2021 dengan 25 juta kes Covid-19 dan 400,000 kematian dan kadar kenaikan kes harian sebanyak 200,000 kes.

Sejak Biden mengangkat sumpah sebagai Presiden AS pada 20 Januari 2021, kadar peningkatan harian di AS adalah serendah 42,098 kes pada 25 April.

Kini terdapat perlumbaan melawan masa, di antara vaksin dan virus.

Janji utama Biden adalah untuk memberikan 100 juta suntikan vaksin kepada rakyat Amerika menjelang 100 hari pertama beliau menjadi Presiden. Kini, kira-kira 290 juta suntikan vaksin telah diedarkan, 230 juta suntikan diberikan, dan kira-kira 96 juta rakyat AS menerima imunisasi penuh, 29% daripada jumlah penduduk.

Amerika Syarikat kini adalah negara yang telah memvaksinasi paling ramai penduduk berbanding dengan mana-mana negara di dunia, walaupun wabak ini juga telah mengorbankan 572,000 nyawa di AS, angka tertinggi di dunia.

Lebih daripada 3,000 orang mati setiap hari semasa Biden mula menjadi presiden. Kini, angka tersebut berada di bawah kadar 700 sehari.

100 hari yang akan datang untuk Biden akan memberikan cabaran untuk beliau berhadapan dengan keengganan orang menerima vaksin dan peningkatan varian baharu virus ini.

Tetapi, di Malaysia, kita masih bergelut untuk mengawal gelombang penularan ketiga — yang merupakan gelombang penularan terpanjang di dunia — dengan menurunkan kadar kes harian ke julat tiga dan kemudiannya dua angka.

Tetapi, terdapat kemungkinan merbahaya yang sebelum kita dapat mengawal gelombang ketiga ini, kita mungkin akan berhadapan dengan gelombang keempat.

Cara untuk mengelakkan gelombang keempat ini adalah untuk segera memanggil sidang Parlimen untuk menggerakkan pendekatan dan strategi yang melibatkan “keseluruhan kerajaan” dan “keseluruhan masyarakat” dalam perang melawan wabak Covid-19 — satu seruan yang saya telah buat sepanjang tahun tetapi tidak dipedulikan!

(Kenyataan Media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Jumaat, 30 April 2021)