MALAYSIANS are demanding an end to the Covid-19 pandemic and that is what they deserve. However, this is not going to happen with a government putting its political interest before pandemic containment and lacking people’s trust in government.
Incapable of leading, unreliable as followers; this Perikatan Nasional government ought to heed Thomas Paine’s words: “Get out of the way.”
Buying time with other people’s lives
This government’s incompetence in dealing with the pandemic is clear when compared with the Pakatan Harapan government.
When the first wave of the pandemic hit Malaysia on January 25, last year, PH was able to contain the total number of positive cases to 22 by February 16 with no deaths. There were zero daily positive cases reported for 11 days from February 16 to 27.
Since the PN government took over, the number of positive cases reached a record high of 9,020 positive cases on May 29, this year. By June 5, the average daily positive cases reached 7,434. By June 25, the total number of infections stand at 722,659 with 60,117 active cases. The national death toll has reached 4,803, with 2,007 people having died in the month of June amounting to 41.8% of fatalities. On average, 80 people die from Covid-19 daily, or 3.3 deaths per hour.
Politics before containment
The PN government has put its political interest above pandemic containment at every important turn of events.
Malaysia, under the PH government, was on track to be declared Covid-19 free. But political ambitions have no patience. They made the Sheraton Move on February 24. There was no government until March 1 and no health minister until March 10. During this time, the tabligh cluster spread with 2,000 positive cases reported throughout the country. By April 10, the second wave of the pandemic reached 4,346 positive cases and 70 deaths.
The third wave of the pandemic was again caused by political ambitions in seeking to take over the Warisan-led Sabah government through defections. An estimated 2,979 cases amounting to 70% of the cases in Sabah and 1,741 cases amounting to 64.4% outside Sabah were attributed to infections contracted during the state election.
Half-way compromises do not work
Political interest is also reflected in the containment strategy chosen by the PN government. Those governments willing to take the full blow of the political and economic hits of harsh restrictions under an aggressive containment strategy are now reaping the benefits. For countries such as China, South Korea and New Zealand, restrictions have been lifted, lives have returned to normal and economies are flourishing.
Malaysia is proof that half-way compromises do not work. With an eye on a probable snap election to cure its lack of legitimacy, harsh restrictions would have affected its election chances.
Appeasing economic demands from the full effect of public health requirements dragged out the pandemic for all. The result – an increased death toll and a flailing economy.
No light at end of tunnel under PN
By using a public health emergency as an excuse to suspend Parliament, pandemic containment was sacrificed on the altar of political power. The absence of parliamentary scrutiny, oversight and due process affected the legitimacy of the rules and regulations. It also affected the government’s integrity and credibility.
Whatever remaining credibility was eroded by the prime minister’s response to the king. No one buys that a committee study is required for Parliament to sit. Everyone knows it is really the lack of intestinal fortitude to face a motion of no confidence.
For so long as the PN leadership views any measure to end the pandemic as affecting its political interests, such measure will not see light at the end of the Parliament tunnel.
Lack of legitimacy and trust in government
Combating Covid-19 requires extreme measures and restrictions in the freedom of movement, association and earning a living. Such measures impose restrictions in nearly every aspect of social and economic live. Coercion by police, heavy fines and imprisonment cannot achieve the level of compliance necessary to deal with the pandemic. It can only succeed through voluntary compliance. This is through legitimacy and trust in government.
Legitimacy and trust in government are the reasons citizens pay their taxes voluntarily knowing it is not to the immediate personal benefit of the individual taxpayer but is done for the greater good of the country. It is the reason citizens stop at red traffic lights with no policeman in sight. Compliance with government policy comes from being perceived as acceptable and credible, that the rules and regulations are for the benefit of the greater good and applies equally to all.
No reservoirs of support
Legitimacy is described as a reservoir of goodwill and support that allows the government to secure the citizens compliance with the rules and regulations without resort to coercion.
Legitimacy is based on moral authority. Legitimate power must be earned not grabbed. Trust means holding a positive perception of an individual or organization. It is a subjective phenomenon reflected in the eyes of the beholder.
In the eyes of PH voters, grabbing power by defections and joining the opposition were heinous betrayals. The PN government has not earned and never enjoyed the trust of PH voters. With Umno declaring the parting of ways with Bersatu in the next election, it lost the trust of the Barisan Nasional voters.
Bersatu on its own, therefore, does not have the level of goodwill and support required to secure voluntary compliance with the rules and regulations. This is because the reservoirs of support belong to PH and BN.
Doing right and fair
Trust represents the confidence of citizens in government actions to do what is right and is perceived as fair. Trust in government encompasses values such as reliability, integrity, responsiveness, fairness, openness and, above all, competence.
When citizens feel they have been unfairly treated, they will have less trust in government and become less willing to comply with rules and regulations. Conversely, when citizens feel they are fairly treated, they are willing to incur personal cost for the greater good provided they feel confident that others are doing the same.
Perception of fair process leads to greater acceptance and better compliance with rules and regulations. When perceived procedural justice elements are built into the design and administration of a regulation, this regulation will, in fact, work better and is easier to enforce.
Low level of trust in government leads to low rates of compliance with rules and regulations. Lack of trust in government cause great harm to society and damage the government’s capacity to act. Worse, an increasing decline in trust leads to less willingness by citizens and businesses to obey the law and to make the sacrifices required during a crisis.
Incompetence and unfairness
There have been confusions galore, U-turns and double standards in the implementation and enforcement of the standard operating procedures, rules and regulations. The police and municipal councils gave different interpretations from the executive government. Businesses did not know which ministry was responsible for approving permissions to operate. Neither did the ministers themselves, with each giving their own set of guidelines and approvals.
Double standards in enforcement of the SOPs gave rise to feelings of unfairness and discrimination. Individuals and businesses were issued summons with fines of RM10,000 and RM50,000, respectively, and those who violated quarantine were imprisoned. Ministers, on the other hand, were released or fined a mere RM1,000.
The resulting performance due to the inconsistent, confusing, conflicting policies and SOPs by the different ministers can be described in one word – incompetence.
In these circumstances, the lack of trust and lack of legitimacy have resulted in low levels of compliance and an exponential increase in the number of positive cases and deaths.
There is no indication this decline in trust in government can be reversed any time soon. With the country going into the most important phase to combat the virus – vaccination, trust in government is crucial, from approval of vaccines, procurement of the vaccines, distribution and implementation of the vaccination programme.
The whole of government and the whole of society recognise the vaccination campaign of this magnitude is unprecedent, and thus, the people’s trust in government is essential to the success of the vaccination programme. This government has been running around “in the emperor’s clothes”. It has no legitimacy and there is no trust in government.
We cannot wait for a child to call out the ugly naked truth for us. The whole of society must act to ensure the vaccination programme not only succeeds but is also completed quickly.
False faces
Macbeth, in order to hide his evil plan to kill King Duncan and take over the Scottish throne, said:
False face must hide what the false heart doth know.”
Malaysians may have been deceived by the false faces before the Sheraton Move but they will not be deceived further. The instability of this government is inherent in the nature of the partners to the power grab. A Chinese saying is applicable:
You cannot cover the sky with only one palm of your hand.”
Bersatu, with only five MPs elected in GE14, together with the 10 PKR defectors, cannot even form a government, much less a stable one. Clinging on to power is a futile exercise. Each hour, 3.3 persons die and many more are financially ruined.
The PN government must get out of the way. If not, all the waters in the Straits of Malacca cannot wash clean the blood from their hands. – The Vibes, June 28, 2021
William Leong Jee Keen is Selayang MP
