BUTTERWORTH – Confusion remains high among Malaysians as to how Covid-19 cases are continuing to rise, despite strict adherence to health standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The country yesterday registered 3,306 cases, after setting a record high of 4,029 cases last Saturday.
Factory executive Bernard Lim Peng Oon, 52, said he is perplexed as he always sees people adhering to SOPs, such as wearing masks, sanitising their hands and keeping a distance from one another.
“It is baffling. I think we need a new game plan to beat the virus. I know it is a global problem but we need to find ways to flatten the curve before our economy collapses,” he said.
Lim said that he can only hope that the new movement control order (MCO) – implemented in the Federal Territories and five states since last Wednesday – is effective as the current situation appears bleak.
Father of two Anuar Othman, 47, said he has been adversely affected by the pandemic as his wages were reduced at the factory he works at, forcing him to take up extra work with ride-hailing giant Grab to supplement his income.
“From RM100 daily, my income has been slashed to RM50 daily. There are days when I do not have passengers.
“Well, people should be staying home right.” said Anuar.
R. Balaji, 52, a former factory worker who was retrenched last March, said that he, too, has joined Grab as jobs are hard to secure these days.
“It is demoralising – this second MCO is like history repeating itself. People are not leaving their homes, which is what authorities want but for us, but it is bad as my income is now only between RM50 and RM60 daily,” he said.
Panida Kukama, 32, a cafe worker at Pacific Mall, said her restaurant used to record sales of between RM 2,000 and RM3,000, but is now down to only RM100 as customers can only do take-aways.
“There are hardly any customers. I hope my boss can sustain the business,” she said.
Her colleague, who only wanted to be known as Siti Sarah, 34, said she has no choice but to continue working to take care of her elderly parents.
“But I feel unsafe leaving home due to the increase in cases and the authorities struggling to contain the virus,” said Sarah.
She said she takes the necessary precautions, such as physically distancing herself from customers, and complies with all SOPs as she want to avoid paying hefty fines for flouting the law.
Food-stall assistant Wassna Tohteng, 36, meanwhile, said that she never wants to leave home because of the risk of contracting the fatal disease, but needs to keep working.
With her husband jobless, she has to provide for their two children, aged 14 and 12.
Hypermarket security officer R. Kalidas, 69, said he is grateful that he is still employed.
“However, business has dropped 50%. I am praying the situation will improve soon.”
Besides sticking to the SOPs, Kalidas said he now skips his usual teh tarik after work and heads straight home to avoid getting infected.
As for businessman Christopher Woo, he said the authorities need to clear the air on guidelines for business operations during the MCO.
“If electronics shops can operate, shouldn't hardware shops be allowed to operate? Both are essential in their own way.
“Health authorities need to work harder to contain the virus, as the economy has been hard hit by the pandemic. It will take months and for some, years to recover.” – The Vibes, January 19, 2021
Additional reporting by Ian McIntyre
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