FIRSTLY, let’s congratulate the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates who bagged straight As for their subjects, because this has been a difficult examination with so many uncertainties and disruptions.

Despite the many obstacles, including school closures, the 9,000-odd students have managed to grab the maximum number of distinctions.

The same plaudits go to those who did equally well, despite not getting straight As.

These top achievers certainly deserve to celebrate because they’ve been rewarded for their hard work and persistence. Their parents must surely be proud of them.

Last week, Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi Jidin announced that a total of 9,411 SPM candidates obtained straight As for 2020. This reflects improvement from the results in the 2019 SPM, when 8,876 candidates obtained straight As.

The number of candidates obtaining at least distinctions also improved by 0.84%, from 77,038 students in 2019 to 78,731 in 2020. Dr Radzi also said more candidates obtained at least a pass in their 2020 SPM, with 38.35% compared to 37.93% in 2019.

But I hope they tamper their exuberance soon with a dose of reality. Having been the pride of their parents, schools and community, they would want to do well in their next step – to sign up for the best courses in universities.

The most sought-after course must be medicine, with engineering likely a second option in the pecking order. Architecture, business, accountancy and computer science are favourites, too.

But medicine is the promised land because everyone thinks that by being a doctor, one is set for life. It’s not only a Malaysian dream, but more an Asian one because we’re still very conventional and traditional in our thinking.

Law used to be up there, but that has dramatically changed since students and parents realised that with lawyers, supply is exceeding demand.

TV shows about doctors such as Grey’s Anatomy enjoy better ratings than series about lawyers, unlike how it was in the 1980s.

Frontliners are hailed as heroes while lawyers/politicians are treated, well, differently now. Journalists probably rank just as poorly on the trust scale.

Our straight A achievers must accept that while they deserve a chance for their academic performance, there’s no such thing as entitlement to receive a spot at the medical faculty.

In the past few days, I’ve been asked by well-meaning uncles to help their nephews and nieces get places. My apologies, for “I have no jalan.”

Many politicians are also in a predicament because their constituents and party members would run to them for help to expedite applications.

Interestingly, the SPM results have been greeted cynically on social media. Many netizens, including teachers and university lecturers, have questioned the results being the best in the past five years.

Malay language social media is filled with comments and videos dismissing the strong performance, saying it was hard to believe when there were school closures, a lack of computers and Internet connectivity, especially in the rural areas.

It hasn’t helped that some students who were interviewed by the media said they were surprised at receiving distinctions for certain subjects.

Former Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali expressed dismay over the country “becoming A-crazy” and that schools were ranked on grade achievements.

“We are missing the true purpose of schooling,” he wrote in his post, saying he was disturbed by Dr Radzi saluting top achievers as “this is a false signal.”

Prof Noor Azlan said he isn’t questioning the grading and scoring methods since they are technical in nature, but “my concern rests on the system.”

Honestly, without wanting to hurt anyone’s feelings, I’m also concerned about the high number of straight A candidates each year.

I’m old school, I guess, because in my days of the Lower Certificate Education (LCE) and Malaysian Certificate of Education (MCE), it was hard to get straight As, and there was no talk of compromise in grading.

The maximum number of As for LCE, or the Form 3 exam, was five distinctions, and if you fail, you get kicked out of school. Well, one could get 9As in the MCE, or equivalent of SPM, then.

But there was no sense of false achievements, or entitlement.

Many of our present students, who scored distinctions in English, for example, have found it difficult in foreign universities, especially in Britain and the US.

A Malaysian student who did very well in her SPM exam, scoring an A in English, found out that in the UK, her level would be a C or D.

Her parents in Kuala Lumpur received an email from her teacher in London expressing concern.

Being polite, the teacher hoped that her English would improve soon if she didn’t want to be left behind and expressed her “understanding” that “English is not her first language” but “nevertheless, she has to catch up fast.”

And this is an urban, English-speaking family, where the student had wide exposure to the language. After all, she consistently earned As in English in school exams, and in the SPM.

In many countries, including the US, medicine has become a post-graduate course. Applicants are required to already possess a bachelor’s degree.

Also, many foreign universities require applicants to take an entrance exam for the medical faculty, not relying merely on public test results.

While many institutes in Britain still accept fresh high school leavers, students need to write a “personal statement” on why they want to be doctors. Interviews are conducted and they are required to do voluntary work to help the local community. That’s how they filter out brainy kids without EQ, those who should just take up physics, biology or similar subjects instead of medicine.

Although Malaysia faces a shortage of specialists, the same can’t be said for general practitioners.

Last year, the Malaysian Medical Association reported that many small clinics were struggling to stay afloat. An estimated 200 were expected to shut down because of low patient count and high rental costs.

The MMA has also said there are too many medical students graduating each year and not enough hospitals to train and provide jobs for them, adding that if the situation continues, we’ll have an unwanted stockpile of untrained graduates.

In short, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t become a doctor. There are plenty of other options in life which could be more rewarding and enjoyable.

But most importantly, don’t let your straight As go to your head – you might be worth less than you think when you’re evaluated by different standards overseas.

Check first: Don’t be too quick to forward your so-called news without verifying it.

It’s so easy to pull the trigger on despatching ‘news’, but what if fact meets fiction?

A POPULAR piece of fake news making the rounds is the one involving two top business personalities and a valuer.

Their names need no mentioning to add more credence to the rumour but suffice to say, I know all three personally.

Two of them succumbed to Covid-19 or complications arising from their infection.

If you want to believe these spreaders, who are more infectious than Covid-19, all three were seated together at an annual dinner.

Facts tell us that companies have not held dinner events in the past 12 months.

The three of them were never together and attended no such event. When it was well refuted, the rumour took a new twist, like a variant, saying the three turned up at a Chinese organisation gathering. A new name even emerged!

The incredible part is that a lot of people believed the rumours, including those who are well-connected and could have easily verified it themselves.

But it would be fair to say that they also forwarded the message with little thought.

A few who checked with me even dismissed my explanation with cynicism, despite me stressing that one was a school mate and that I have professional relationships with the other two Tan Sri.

Last week, tuition teacher Mohd Nazaruddin Yusoff, 50, pleaded not guilty to posting fake news on Facebook at the Sessions Court in Johor Baru. His alleged offence is understood to be the first case since the Emergency Ordinance came into effect in March.

He allegedly claimed a traffic policeman died after receiving his second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

In Kangar, Perlis, Norjannah Rusli, 28, was fined RM5,000, in default of five months’ jail, by the Kangar Sessions Court after she pleaded guilty to spreading fake news about the pandemic via WhatsApp, with the intention of striking fear and concern among the public.

The offence was allegedly committed at a house in Jalan Pauh, Kampung Belukar, Arau, at 10.31am on April 18.

The charge was framed under Section 4(1) of the Emergency Ordinance (Essential Powers) (No.2) 2021, which carries a maximum fine of RM100,000 or a jail term of up to three years, or both.

These peddlers of false news care little for the consequences of their actions, especially the emotional scars they leave. While public figures are immune to fake news, especially on social media, not everyone can handle it.

Another recent fake news involved a man running amok at a vaccination centre in an East Coast state. But it’s, in fact, an old video of an angry man with mental illness, and nothing concerning vaccination.

Even seasoned politicians have become victims of false claims, including certain political leaders who seem to take great joy in attacking the government, only to slip and fall on their own rhetoric.

I must confess that even I, as a reporter, have believed some of the fake news, including one about a list to approve essential services from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI).

I’m fortunate that I can verify it with my colleagues and government officials, but most Malaysian don’t have that privilege.

It’s also unfair for government officials to spend their time rebutting fake news, which seems to have gone into overdrive.

There are also politicians who use their positions to make allegations and cause untold damage, especially if they speak at the Dewan Rakyat, where they are exempt from defamation.

And if they’re popular opposition leaders, many tend to believe what they say because they seem to be more trustworthy than government Members of Parliament.

Their victims choose not to file legal action against these politicians because court cases take up too much time and are costly affairs. One university official was accused of money laundering by a politician without evidence, and the poor woman had no chance to even explain herself.

It has taken an emotional toll on her, but those who hurl accusations don’t seem to care. If there was any evidence, the best way would be to file a complaint with the relevant authorities.

Social media has been a boon as well as bane. It’s become the fastest way to disseminate information, but it’s also a platform to spread fake news which can create discord.

Anyone and everyone can be a reporter now, but the only difference is that the recognised media is trained to check and verify news. In terms of speed, we lose out sometimes, but our principle has always been that in case of doubt, leave it out.

Knowing my background as a reporter engaged in print, online and social media, clients sometimes tell me that they only swear by advertising in social media.

But when they run into trouble, they quickly run to the old school journalists for help. The pimply key influencers, with their legion of followers, become completely inept at crisis management.

The point is this – don’t be too quick to forward your so-called news. Check with reputable and credible news organisations, and not half-baked news sites and paid bloggers.

Or worse, the neighbourhood rumour mongers who claim to know everything. So, forward at your own peril.

Just take it: Now is not the time to be choosy about vaccine ‘brands’. The reality is that the odds of someone dying from Covid-19 is high.

FINALLY! Sense has prevailed and something’s being done about the skyrocketing numbers. It’s taken longer than it should have, but that’s likely because of the solution’s expected deep impact to the economy. Are we in a position to choose, though?

Every other day is a new record. While we’re awaiting further details, this time around, the government has announced the next two key phases, along with the timeline.

The 2 + 4 weeks means lockdown can potentially be lifted only by July 13.

We must be prepared for a two-week extension until July 28. That’s nearing Aug 1 and the end of the Emergency declaration.

So, playing it safe, it’s best we condition ourselves for a two-month lockdown for it to be worthwhile this time.

Yes, it will impact businesses and people, with dire consequences, but it’s time we bite the bullet because we need to hit the brakes hard again.

We shouldn’t be surprised by these escalating figures, especially following the huge crowds at Ramadan bazaars and Hari Raya celebrations, where we know rules were broken.

The number of non-Malays, especially the Chinese, has also been glaring. So, we’re all guilty.

Restaurants were packed, and roads jammed up daily.

These aren’t the only reasons, of course. We pulled our foot off the brake in December, when we were let loose.

Many of us went on holidays, and judging from pictures of street parties, especially in Penang during Christmas and New Year, we were clearly headed for trouble.

This brazen flouting of SOP and the lack of enforcement – including pathetic workers dormitories and double-standard practices – are all well-documented.

Now, here’s the crunch. Malaysia is now in the Intensive Care Unit. We either go under the knife and slice off the cancerous cells, and spend two weeks in hospital for a complete cure, or pretend all is well and simply stick to taking pain killers and steroid jabs.

It’s a given the numbers will hit new records. We don’t need to be experts to forecast the projections. Perhaps, it’s time for us to listen to health experts instead of politicians, who will always look at short-term plans.

But we’re to blame, too.

I’m not sure if this is a Malaysian quirk, but it’s certainly perplexing.

I have family members, friends and colleagues who have passed on the AstraZeneca vaccination programme because they don’t rate it.

Curiously, they think AZ will kill them. They fear getting blood clots.

So, they’d rather wait for Pfizer. Nothing but only Pfizer. In their own words, “it’s branded, you see”.

Then, those frequenting China are terrified at the thought of getting vaccinated by the American made Pfizer because they can’t imagine being denied entry into China.

Pfizer’s Viagra is okay, but not Pfizer’s vaccine. I was told that one elderly man stormed off from a vaccination centre when he found out he was getting Pfizer.

There are also the absolutely bizarre theories from some Chinese friends of mine who believe the China-made Sinovac works better in Chinese bodies, including Malaysian Chinese.

They told me this with straight faces, which means they assume their theories have sound scientific basis.

So, when I told my circle of friends that I was indeed honoured and pleased to be selected for AZ early on, they were aghast.

I was given several lectures on the dangers of potential blood clots from well-meaning people.

From the expression of concern on their faces, I could tell they feared I could drop dead anytime.

Let’s not even mention the many chat groups we’re in, where experts have surfaced. Strangely, they aren’t disturbed by the daily jump in new Covid-19 cases.

Every other day is a record smashing day over the past few weeks, yet still, they’d rather wait.

But prejudice has begun to concede to fear. Suddenly, I can sense a shift among these vaccine snobs.

Following the first round of AZ vaccine offers, which were snapped up within an hour in April, more Malaysians have realised that while they continue procrastinating over AZ, many others are expectantly waiting in line.

Many young friends of mine, who would often wake up late, were waiting eagerly to register themselves for the first round of AZ vaccines.

With phone in hand, it was a race to the finish to get themselves registered. As expected, those who tried logging in only at 2pm or 3pm found out that registration had closed.

So, most did the next thing Malaysians do best – blame the government. Reasons included, there were no reminders, they missed the announcement and the system sucks. Maybe a look in the mirror was in order?

Last week, a classic scenario played out. The system unsurprisingly crashed, leading many Malaysians to vent their frustration.

With more than 100,000 entering the system per minute, many fairly contended how 100,000 Malaysians could compete for bargains on Shoppe and Lazada while their systems worked perfectly well.

And just when everything had failed, many Malaysians woke up to two pieces of good news. They received a date for their first dose of vaccination and recalcitrant Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman had been sacked!

It was dramatic! Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak aka Bosku advised his Umno MP, Tajuddin, to apologise, but it was the Prime Minister aka The Real Boss, who gave Tajuddin the sack from Prasarana – via Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

Talk about a classic cucuk. That was a painful one, although he tried to put up a brave front and denied he had been hit by a train or thrown off one.

If our politicians are stubborn, so are most of us. Many of us simply can’t follow rules and SOP.

Unless you’re a celebrity proudly posting pictures of yourself on social media breaking SOP, the chances of getting booked by the authorities are near nil.

Let’s face it, enforcement is almost non-existent in Malaysia, and we know all those rules only look good on paper.

If you don’t believe me, ask the delivery boys to tell you if they’ve ever been caught for beating traffic lights.

So, if you really believe Malaysians have the discipline for a self-lockdown and will only spend two hours shopping at the mall, you’re probably from Mars.

We haven’t even come to the 20,000 people from Kelantan and Kedah who didn’t turn up for their vaccination although they registered.

Even traditionally influential PAS officials are bewildered that their loyalists are not subscribing to these vaccines.

And finally, the government should seriously re-think its proposal to allow people to choose their vaccine in MySejahtera. Never promise something you can’t control.

For starters, the supply of vaccines is at the mercy of the manufacturers from the United States, Europe and China – namely Pfizer, AZ and Sinovac.

We should never encourage Malaysians to be selective because when the government fails to deliver, it would be criticised, and we don’t need our frontliners at vaccination centres to be at the receiving end of irate countrymen.

Malaysians must learn to just accept the vaccine they receive because there are many, many others who are prepared to embrace any kind of vaccine.

If the choosy wish to reject what’s prescribed to them, then it’s their choice to walk away. However, they must be warned that they would be bumped to the bottom of the pile, and only get their vaccine if they’re lucky, or still alive.

The reality is that the odds of someone dying from Covid is far higher than someone succumbing to blood clots from AZ.

And don’t worry about not being able to enter Europe, US or China because of the kind of vaccines that would eventually be sorted out. In any case, we won’t be travelling anywhere for a while.

Worry more about your trip to the quarantine centre, hospital or mortuary.

As my colleague, Brian Martin, wrote in his column, On Your Side, the best vaccine is the one in your arm.

Indeed, I feel thankful, privileged and secure that I had #CucukMyAZ.

Tougher measure: It should be mandatory for employers to enforce mass targeted testing so that infectious contacts can be rapidly identified, since cases are increasingly asymptomatic. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star

IT has been a pretty depressing few weeks for me. I lost a former schoolmate and friend to Covid-19. Two former colleagues from The Star also succumbed to the dreadful virus.

Prominent surveyor and real estate expert Michael Geh became another casualty a week ago from complications arising from Covid-19.

His condition deteriorated 10 days after being admitted into intensive care for testing positive. He had to be intubated after his heart and kidneys weakened.

Geh was just 57 years old. The last time we met was when he attended my late father’s wake services in Penang last July.

Hardly a day passes by without me hearing news of someone I know testing positive or being admitted to the quarantine centres or private hospitals.

Friends and neighbours have also asked me to help get their acquaintances into private hospitals after they were turned away by these overflowing medical facilities.

I have only succeeded once with such requests, after a doctor friend of mine told me that the friend who sought my help “just won a lottery ticket”.

The doctor managed to get my friend a place despite hospitals brimming with Covid patients.

The harsh reality is that Malaysia is now at a truly critical stage. The opportunity for long deliberation and debate is over because we’ve wasted enough time pandering to political and economic demands.

Adding to the dire situation has been horrendous flip-flop calls and contradicting statements which have made our leaders look incompetent. If that’s not bad enough, there were big-shots and celebrities who flouted the law and unabashedly posted pictures of their dubious acts on social media.

But our healthcare system is now severely strained. Forget populist measures because we really need decisive and measured decisions to put an effective action plan together.

Flexible rules, which call for self-discipline, won’t work in Malaysia.

After all, it should be mandatory for employers to enforce mass targeted testing, so that infectious contacts can be rapidly identified, since cases are increasingly asymptomatic.

Never mind if they are just the cheaper RTK-Ag tests, so long as results are received quickly.

Malaysians seem reluctant to get tested unless they’ve come in contact with someone who tested positive, or when they need to prove they’re safe for travelling or for procedures in hospitals.

Many assume we are safe unless we have a bad fever, cough or symptoms of infection.

We also like to think that our family members are safe, so when we eat at the same table, we fail to practise the etiquette of placing a designated spoon or pair of chopsticks on every dish.

Family members, friends and colleagues are “red flags”, but because we are culturally always polite, we try to avoid this delicate and sensitive subject.

We forget the people closest to us go out to work, or to populated places like the supermarkets, and like anyone else, risk being exposed to an infected person.

Malaysians should be encouraged to stay isolated at home if they only display mild symptoms.

There’s little point in shipping asymptomatic people to Sungai Buloh and Serdang and further stretching these centres.

These medical facilities are not hospitality or catering services. Sure, the toilets can be cleaner, but stop whining about the food and services.

Our frontliners have been tasked with saving lives, and they are risking theirs daily when they go to work at these healthcare centres.

Given the Emergency powers the government wields now, it’s imperative we increase Covid-19 beds and ICUs by integrating the public and private sectors, and government-linked companies.

But these facilities amount to nothing if we’re short of doctors and nurses. Private medical personnel need to be conscripted into a national army of medical Covid-19 fighters because we’re at war. This is national service, so we must call on them.

Malaysia also needs to scale up vaccination exercises by incorporating the army, fire brigade and non-governmental organisations in affected areas, including the small towns and rural areas.

In Britain, these service men and women have also been roped in. Places of worship have even served as vaccination centres to cut down travelling and costs for people.

This is a long-haul situation which needs proper strategy. The problem won’t go away even if we impose a few rounds of lockdowns. It will only reduce the numbers momentarily, until the entire nation is vaccinated, of course.

New strains are emerging, and people who have completed their vaccination have even been infected, so these cases should serve as lessons to our planning because we all need to take care of ourselves.

There’s a lot of anger with the government because of the increasing numbers, but we share the blame, too.

We couldn’t obey two simple but effective measures – wear a face mask and avoid crowds.

Instead, we continue with unnecessary physical meetings and get-together meals. We also go shopping to kill the boredom, visit friends, and adamantly insist on Ramadan bazaars while our populist leaders accommodate demands.

But when we lose our dear ones to the pandemic or find ourselves admitted to hospital, we begin to understand better that strong measures are necessary.

It’s time to wake up from our slumber of indifference because Covid-19 cases are now affecting people we know personally, and they’re no longer mere statistics.