KUALA LUMPUR – The country has learnt nothing from previous movement control orders (MCOs) judging from the crowds at Ramadan bazaars, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
The Langkawi MP slammed the federal government’s decision to allow the bazaars to operate despite knowing that crowds will be uncontrollable.
“I suppose the government did not want to be unpopular by banning the bazaars, but it must know that the crowds will be uncontrollable. Sure enough, as soon as the bazaars opened, the cases increased.
“From just under 2,000, the new daily cases (have now) shot up to more than 4,000 a day. Panicked, the bazaars are suddenly banned.
“It is a good example of flip-flop that the people cannot accept. The hawkers have already bought ingredients for their products for the whole month. Now, they will lose their money (with the sudden closure).”
Dr Mahathir said although it is a good idea to reintroduce the MCO, it is not strict enough.
“We need to confine people to their homes. There should not be any excuse for crowds to form. (But,) confining people at home means they will have no money and no food.”
The government should step in and take responsibility for keeping people alive, he added.
“For food, there should be public kitchens where food is prepared, packaged and delivered to houses. It is important that quarantined individuals not come out to collect the food at the kitchens. This will cause crowds to gather.
“Couriers should be recruited to deliver the food. There should be no contact between the deliverymen and householders. Hotel kitchens should be utilised to prepare and package the food.
“The home quarantine should (last) for at least one month. Police and military personnel should be very strict in ensuring the people don’t come out to shop or do anything.
“The cost must be borne by the government. It will be costly, but the government must do it.”
Dr Mahathir also urged for people to accept whatever vaccine is being extensively used in other countries, adding that an effort must be made to get people in rural areas vaccinated.
“The government claims that it has spent more than RM600 billion in the fight against the pandemic. If so, we should have the capacity to deal with the pandemic. But, obviously, we have not.
“We must know why. RM600 billion is a lot of money. It is not easy to spend that money in such a short space of time.” – The Vibes, May 20, 2021
