Malaysia has lost an eminent son, James Masing, Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister in the Covid-19 pandemic.
James Masing was a leading Dayak leader who had distinguished himself in his service to his community, state and nation.
His loss is a great and irreplaceable one.
The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed over 28,000 lives in the past 22 months, with 5,839 Brought-in-Dead (BID).
Malaysia Covid-19 fatality rate is the highest in ASEAN and East Asian regions, with death per capita of 876 deaths per 1 million population.
Over 43% of the 28,912 Covid-19 deaths were recorded in the 64 days after Khairy Jamaluddin had taken his oath as Health Minister on August 30.
We must cut down the Covid-19 death rate in Malaysia and make the Brought-in-Dead Covid-19 deaths (5,846 BID so far) a rare phenomenon.
We are moving in this direction in the last two days, when Malaysia recorded 44 deaths (with four BID deaths) on Oct. 30 and 36 Covid-19 deaths (with seven BID deaths) yesterday.
A team of volunteers have created a website as a memorial to those who have lost their battles to the Covid-19 in Malaysia – https://c19memorial.my/.
As the website noted, there is Kuala Lumpur a Tugu Negara – the National Monument – dedicated to remembering the 11,000 people who died during the World World I, World War II and the 12-year Malayan Emergency.
Since Covid-19 hit Malaysian shores on January 24, and claimed its first life in March 2020, 28,912 have died of Covid-19 (including 5,846 Brought-in-Dead cases).
As the C19 memorial website noted: “They are not just numbers. Those who have fallen are brothers, sisters, mothers and daughters, sons and fathers, aunts, grandfathers, friends – dearly loved individuals. This is to remember them, their names, their faces, their lives. Information published here is collated from the public domain (through news article and public social media posts), and through submissions and testimonials from the public.”
Browsing through the website, one is reminded of the tens of thousands of tragedies of the 22-month Covid-19 pandemic, the enormous price Malaysia has paid in human toll, that apart from James Masing, we have lost former Sabah Governor and Chief Minister Sankaran Dandai, former deputy minister Lajim Ukin and Guan Dee Koh Hoi, former Chief Secretary to government Ahmad Sarji Ahmad Hamid, former State Assemblymen Kee Phaik Chin (Gerakan), Wan Ismail Wan Jusoh (PAS) and Ismail Kijo (UMNO), former Pakatan Harapan Youth leader Shazni Munir Mohd Ithnin, property developer Teo Chiang Quan, surveyor Michael Gek Thuan Peng, former police officials Ramlan Abdul Razak and Baharom Othman, lawyers like Amir Askee Meor Nordin, Ghazi Ishak and Lim Fung Yin, medical professionals like Dr. Shariffudin Ramli and Dr. Rohit Nambier Seseadharan Nambiar, artist Nasir Nadzri, violinist Hashim Ariffin, singer Joyce Leelyn, pastor David Cheng and drummer Chong Hai Liang – each a human tragedy by itself that could have been avoided.
Let us remember the Covid-19 dead once a year, with the Prime Minister presiding over the ceremonies.
I have suggested Decemberr 30 year, for I expect the Covid-19 deaths in Malaysia to taper off by that date.
In 1918, the Spanish Flu pandemic killed 34,644 people in Malaysia. The Malaysian government, with the co-operation of the people, must ensure that the toll from Covid-19 pandemic is not more than the 1918 Spanish Flu.
For 31 days, Indonesia had recorded triple-digit daily new Covid-19 cases with 523 new cases yesterday and for two consecutive weeks, it had recorded double-digit daily Covid-19 deaths with 17 Covid-19 deaths yesterday.
Yesterday, India fell to 12,874 daily new Covid-19 cases and 251 daily Covid-19 deaths (less than one per cent of its daily peak of 414,433 Covid-19 deaths on May 6, 2021) and China recorded 71 daily new Covid-19 cases and zero Covid-19 deaths, but Malaysia recorded 4,979 daily new Covid-19 cases and 36 Covid-19 deaths.
It is time for Malaysia to perform better than Indonesia, India and China in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.
(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 1st November 2021)
30 Disember harus dinamakan sebagai Hari Memorial Kebangsaan bagi memperingati mangsa korban akibat Covid-19 di Malaysia
Malaysia kehilangan seorang tokoh yang amat dihormati, Timbalan Ketua Menteri Sarawak, James Masing akibat jangkitan Covid-19.
James Masing adalah pemimpin Dayak yang telah banyak berbakti untuk masyarakatnya, negeri dan juga negara.
Kehilangan beliau tidak ada galang gantinya.
Wabak Covid-19 telah mengorbankan 28,000 nyawa sejak 22 bulan lalu, dengan 5,839 daripadanya didapati mati di luar fasiliti (BID).
Kadar kematian Covid-19 di Malaysia adalah paling tinggi di rantau ASEAN dan Asia Timur, dengan kadar kematian sebanyak 876 per sejuta penduduk.
Lebih 43% daripada 28,912 kematian akibat Covid-19 telah direkodkan dalam masa 64 hari selepas Khairy Jamaluddin mengangkat sumpah sebagai Menteri Kesihatan pada 30 Ogos.
Kita harus menurunkan kadar kematian akibat Covid-19 di Malaysia selain kematian akibat wabak itu yang berlaku di luar fasiliti (5,846 setakat ini).
Kita sedang menyaksikan penurunan kadar kematian sejak dua hari lalu — Malaysia merekodkan 44 kematian (dengan empat daripadanya BID) pada 30 Oktober dan 36 kematian akibat wabak itu (dengan tujuh daripadanya BID) semalam.
Sebuah pasukan sukarelawan telah mewujudkan sebuah laman web memorial untuk memperingati mereka yang telah terkorban dalam berjuang melawan virus Covid-19 di Malaysia – https://c19memorial.my/.
Seperti yang dinyatakan laman web tersebut, terdapat Tugu Negara di Kuala Lumpur yang didedikasikan untuk memperingati 11,000 orang yang terkorban semasa Perang Dunia Pertama, Perang Dunia Kedua dan Darurat selama 12 tahun.
Sejak Covid-19 melanda negara pada 24 Januari, dan menyebabkan kematian pertama pada Mac 2020, 28,912 telah terkorban akibat wabak itu (termasuk 5,846 kes BID).
Seperti yang dinyatakan laman web memorial C19 tersebut: 21,000 itu bukan sekadar angka. Setiap angka tersebut adalah ibu, bapa, anak, datuk, sahabat, dan individu yang amat disayangi. Perginya setiap nyawa itu meninggalkan pelbagai kenangan yang akan sarat dibawa dan menghantui mereka yang ditinggalkan. Memorial ini dibangunkan agar nama, wajah, serta kisah-kisah sepanjang kehidupan mereka akan dapat terus dikongsi dan terpahat selamanya dalam memori. Maklumat yang disiarkan dalam memorial ini dikumpul daripada carian awam (laporan media tempatan dan hantaran media sosial kepada awam), serta maklumat yang dikemukakan oleh ahli keluarga dan orang awam kepada kami.
Laman web tersebut mengingatkan kita tentang puluhan ribu nyawa yang terkorban akibat wabak Covid-19 yang berpanjangan selama 22 bulan, Malaysia telah kehilangan banyak nyawa yang tak ternilai harganya, selain James Masing, kita telah kehilangan mantan Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sabah dan Ketua Menteri Sabah, Sankaran Dandai, Bekas timbalan menteri, Lajim Ukin dan Guan Dee Koh Hoi, mantan ketua setiausaha kerajaan Ahmad Sarji Ahmad Hamid, mantan Adun Kee Phaik Chin, Wan Ismail Wan Jusoh (PAS) dan Ismail Kijo (UMNO), bekas ketua pemuda Pakatan Harapan Shazni Munir Mohd Ithnin, pemaju perumahan Teo Chiang Quan, juruukur, Michael Gek Thuan Peng, mantan pegawai polis Ramlan Abdul Razak dan Baharom Othman, peguam seperti Amir Askee Meor Nordin, Ghazi Ishak dan Lim Fung Yin, professional perubatan seperti Dr. Shariffudin Ramli dan Dr. Rohit Nambier Seseadharan Nambiar, pelukis, Nasir Nadzri, pemain violin,Hashim Ariffin, penyanyi Joyce Leelyn, paderi David Cheng dan pemain drum Chong Hai Liang – tragedi yang sepatutnya boleh dielakkan.
Marilah kita memperingati mereka yang terkorban akibat Covid-19 sekali setiap tahun, dengan Perdana Menteri mengetuai majlis-majlis tersebut.
Saya mencadangkan tarikh 30 November itu kerana saya menjangkakan yang kematian akibat Covid-19 di Malaysia bakal menurun menjelang hari tersebut.
Pada 1918 wabak Selsema Sepanyol telah membunuh 34,644 orang di Malaysia, kerajaan Malaysia, dengan kerjasama semua rakyat, harus memastikan jumlah kematian akibat wabak Covid-19 di Malaysia tidak melebihi jumlah kematian akibat Selsema Sepanyol pada 1918.
Selama 31 hari, Indonesia merekodkan kes baharu Covid-19 pada julat tiga angka dengan 523 kes baharu semalam dan untuk dua minggu berturut-turut, negara jiran itu telah merekodkan kes kematian akibat Covid pada julat dua angka dengan 17 kematian akibat wabak itu dicatatkan semalam.
Semalam, kes harian baharu di India telah menurun kepada 12,874 kes dan 251 kematian baharu (kurang 1 peratus daripada puncak harian 414,433 kematian pada 6 Mei 2021) dan China merekodkan 71 kes harian baharu Covid-19 dan sifat kematian akibat wabak itu, tetapi Malaysia merekodkan 4,979 kes harian baharu Covid-19 dengan 36 kematian.
Sudah tiba masanya untuk Malaysia menunjukkan prestasi yang lebih baik berbanding Indonesia, India dan China dalam perang melawan wabak Covid-19.
(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri, Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Isnin, 1 November 2021)
