Author Archives: wcw

Food for thought

Vertical farming: Singapore has taken food security so seriously that it has now started modern rooftop farms, like this carpark rooftop vegetable plot at Block 700, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6. – Photos: The Straits Times/ANN

IF there’s a lesson Malaysians must learn from the current Movement Control Order (MCO), it’s that food shouldn’t be taken for granted anymore. While we don’t lack food supplies, the MCO and crowd control rules at supermarkets have made it more difficult for us to get the essentials.

Then, there are many Malaysians, especially the poor, who have lost their jobs or are unable to work because of the MCO and are now struggling to put food on the table.

But as the world grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic and reels from fears of a paucity in food supplies, food security has been given well-deserved fresh attention.

In ordinary times (it’s strange to even describe this way, right?), a little virus wouldn’t even make for idle chatter. Besides, most governments have always given lip service to this subject, anyway.

As a recap, think about this – Singapore, which is almost entirely dependent since it imports over 90% of the food consumed, has emerged tops in 2018 and 2019 in the Global Food Security Index (GFS), which comprised 113 countries.

The GFS assesses people’s ability to attain affordable and quality food to meet their nutritional needs.

This is a country of five million people crammed in a landmass of just 715 square km, but the country knows that money has little value if there’s no food.

In the case of Malaysia, we were ranked 28th in 2019, but that’s a big improvement having been in the 48th spot in 2018. This is the harvest of our commitment in ensuring adequate food stockpile, which also includes the reduction of imports and better diversification of crops.

Food security simply means the availability of safe, sufficient and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life, according to the United Nations’ standards.

Singapore has taken food security so seriously that it has now started modern rooftop and vertical farms, in what it terms “the world’s first low-carbon, water-driven, rotating, vertical farm” for growing vegetables in an urban environment.

Singapore’s vertical farms are said to supply NTUC FairPrice’s 230 grocery retail outlets. – Bloomberg

Those of us old enough to have been around would recall our dig at the late Tan Sri Sanusi Junid in the late 1980s for suggesting planting padi on roof tops when he was Agriculture Minister.

Well, vegetables from Singapore’s vertical farming are said to supply NTUC FairPrice’s 230 grocery retail outlets.

Last month, its Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chui Seng told Singaporeans that it has a few months’ stockpiles and anticipates a break in the chain of of supply from Malaysia.

“Currently, Singapore has more than three months’ worth of carbohydrates like rice and noodles, and more than two months’ worth of stockpiles for proteins and vegetables,” he said, revealing specific figures for the first time.

“Singapore has plans to manage a disruption of supplies from Malaysia through a combination of stockpiling, local production and diversification of overseas sources,” he was quoted.

The post Covid-19 period is an opportunity for fundamental reforms, as the Minister in our Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamad rightly pointed out.

According to a comprehensive paper titled “Achieving Food Security For All Malaysians” by Khazanah Research Institute (KRI), Malaysia is more food secure today, meeting various internationally-accepted criteria, unlike in the past, particularly during the colonial period.

“All major foods are available in sufficient quantities to meet market demand, which should not be equated with human needs. Production has improved for poultry and vegetables, while rice production is supplemented by imports.

“Food access is no longer an issue for most Malaysians, with better processing, transport and storage systems and distribution arrangements, for most major food items,” it said.

But food affordability has remained a very serious issue, and as our economy spirals from our weakening ringgit against the US dollar, food will surely become much more expensive.

It has been reported that our food imports for 2019 has hit almost RM60bil – which is certainly too high for a country with a population of 32 million people.

According to reports, Malaysia’s food import bill ballooned from RM10.5bil in 1998 to RM51.28bil in 2017, while food exports increased from RM6.15bil in 1998 to RM31.84bil in 2017, highlighting a near five-fold leap both ways.

We aren’t in a food security crisis presently, but sadly, Malaysians have become poorer. That’s a fact, even if your employer – government or private sector – has yet to dock your pay.

The sharp drop in fuel prices is bleeding the country. Every US$1 (RM4.3) drop in oil price will result in a whopping RM300mil loss for us. And with prices plummeting to between US$20 (RM86) and US$25 (RM107) per barrel, we are looking at additional losses of between RM11.1bil and RM12.6bil.

This rooftop farm in Singapore apparently can grow up to 25 different varieties of leafy greens.

The bottom line is this – we need to act fast to prevent a food security problem because the current pattern of food imports is not sustainable.

We need to review our food import and distribution system, including Approved Permits and import permits, which seem partial to certain parties. Pricing needs a relook, too.

The KRI findings cited beef, pork and chicken being much higher priced in Malaysia than in Australia.

“One reason for the high prices are the supply oligopolies, as import licenses are only awarded to a handful of importers.

“In 2014, beef exported from India was sold for an average of US$2.90 (RM12.50) per kg, but was much more expensive in Malaysia, at US$7.82 (RM33.70) per kg.

“The higher price of beef compared to the export price from the major source country suggests oligopolistic market power by a few major imports,” it said.

In the report written in 2019 by Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Tan Zhai Gen and Jarud Romadan Khalidi, four policy recommendations were listed for consideration, including Malaysia’s commitment to producing enough rice for its people, embracing different policy options to beef up national food security and raise the quality of life for farmers.

A wide-ranging food security policy should be installed, so we have access to healthy and diverse diets. Sewing it all up is the need for food safety to gain greater policy consideration.

Basically, there can’t be a better time for us to back food producers and learn from the Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, Thais and the Dutch, given their ecosystem, value chain and delivery system.

More food production is about modern farming and aqua-culture methods with sound R&D.

We must stop wasting time trying to eliminate the middlemen, an unending fixation of many policy makers. However, studies indicate that government-run agencies are not practical with the multi-layer bureaucracy and office hours structure.

Middlemen have become a part of the ecosystem as they also support fishermen and farmers with loans and tools for their work, believes Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer Madeline Berma, according to a news report.

Most armchair critics, in a simplistic and prejudiced way, prefer looking at middlemen in only black and white terms.

We must examine our way of life because we spend so much on food yet see so much of it go to waste.

According to the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp), the wasted food can easily fill up 16 Twin Towers.

Here’s another fact: we dump about 16,688 tonnes of food per day, an amount that can easily feed around 2.2 million people, three times a day.

This is a good time for all of us to reflect on our food production, consumption pattern and food security index in the most serious way we ever have.

Dear YB: Enough with the photo ops, walk the MCO talk

I AM not sure if our Malaysian leaders, especially politicians, are aware that their pictures posted on social media are being watched closely – or rather, scrutinised.

Besides their opponents, who are spending much of their free time finding fault and ways to ridicule them, ordinary Malaysians are also following closely what their elected representatives are doing.

You can tell from the Facebook and Instagram posts whether they have been uploaded by their media assistants or by they themselves. If they are deadpan and serious, in an “officialdom” manner, we know it’s the work of the media handlers.

It’s not that they are not creative, but no one wants to run foul, so they rather stick to the same, safe formula. After all, as with most bosses, they know that they won’t be credited when their work is good but are the immediate fall guy with just one mistake.

The more candid posts, with a few grammar mistakes thrown in, are the real ones that come direct from the person crafting these posts.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin probably has the best posts with a good mix, as he shares pictures of his personal life, work and even his current fashion choice, with his followers.

He is a natural, and that is perhaps because he was briefly a journalist and TV commentator, with a trained eye for newsworthiness.

So, it’s not just pictures of him at seemingly boring meetings, poring through documents with equally boring looking officials, or sitting around with constituents in villages.

After a while, these pictures become a blind spot, an advertising term which basically means that the audience doesn’t really bother anymore. In short, who cares?

But in the present movement control order (MCO) period, Malaysians are putting our ministers and Members of Parliament under the microscope.

Well, most of us are bored and restless, and are glued to our handphones or computers. We have too much time.

Many of us have noticed that some leaders are obviously not practising what they are supposed to be doing.

They have actually set bad examples, as they continue with what they have always been doing, unwittingly, as a habit. Their officials are not alerting them to this, or are too subservient to tell their bosses off.

One minister has practically ignored social distancing, with most of his officials still seated closely next to each other in pictures.

Members of the media are no better – they are seen huddling around him, putting their microphones up close to him, and exposing themselves to him – remember, droplet transmission is a factor in the Covid-19 outbreak. What social distancing?

It is also obvious that this minister doesn’t like wearing masks, as evident from the many pictures with him “unmasked”.

There is one minister who posed for a photograph after a meeting with others. Some were wearing masks and some weren’t, and at least one person shouldn’t even have been there.

Sure, taking the picture may have merely took a minute, but this is still unacceptable simply because the minister’s job includes promoting social distancing.

Then there are one or two others who have this inane habit of still wanting an entourage of officials to greet them, in a feudalistic manner, at functions and, of course, at their press conferences.

There has been a backlash recently against ministers for arranging unnecessary events merely to show they are working or just for the media attention – all at the expense of the frontliners who rather be working then being mere photo props.

The reality is this – they don’t need any of these functions. The “stay at home” call also covers ministers.

The only one who should talking to the media at conferences are Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, and Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

The rest can get to the media through Zoom, FaceTime or just via a social media post.

At a time when most of us are discouraged from physically collecting documents or food from deliverers, we still see pictures of MPs in the standard food handover functions.

If in the days before Covid-19, we kept seeing our Yang Berhormat riding their kapcai in villages without their helmets, we hope that in the post-MCO period, especially during the Hari Raya period, they at least put on face masks.

The reality is that wearing face masks will be the “new normal” from now in Malaysia, and so will the “Salam Malaysia” greeting (as opposed to handshakes).

The last thing we need is to let our guard down after all our MCO efforts.

How about stimulus plan for education business?

Private students

IT’S a less talked about business in Malaysia as the various industry players from the other sectors lament about their struggles to pay bills, cope with cash flows and keep jobs.

But among the hardest hit is the education business and that means private colleges and universities.

Not many people, including even top government officials, realise that the education sector is a huge revenue-earner.

At least RM11.8bil comes from the contributions of international students, mostly from private higher education institutions, and RM31.5bil more in the form of tuition fees and living expenses through food and rentals.

Education is one of Malaysia’s biggest exports as we have the 10th largest market of international students worldwide.

It’s a multi-billion ringgit business, and it can be regarded as a low-hanging fruit, as Malaysia now desperately needs to find money to keep the country going.

It is not just about keeping the economy from collapsing and saving jobs of Malaysians but finding new ways to help our national coffers.

It is a no-brainer that we can’t continue to depend on crude oil and palm oil.

I spoke to Datuk Parmjit Singh, who heads the Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities, after hearing the growing sentiments of the education sector.

For a start, we have lagged behind, despite the lofty targets as other neighbouring nations have also allowed foreign universities to set up branches. The foreign public universities are competing for foreign students.

Our rules, affecting foreign students, have neither changed nor relaxed. With the arrests of foreign students, including one doctorate student who died from heart attack while in detention, we made news globally for the wrong reasons. Other grievances included the call for better part-time working hours for students.

Some government officials still do not understand that this is a revenue-earner. It has created many jobs. It would help if the government plays less of a regulator but a supporter of this business.

Covid-19 has landed a huge blow to the industry as the movement control order (MCO) came into effect during the peak of a major recruitment season for Malaysian institutions of higher learning, particularly for local students post SPM and STPM.

“Many had to abandon preparations and plans for recruitment activities midway. While some were able to run e-Counselling services, this is not as effective as face-to-face enrolment on campus or during exhibitions and roadshows to address queries from parents and prospective students.

“The impact on recruitment is further compounded for institutions who are, at the same time, heavily dependent on recruiting international students.

“In addition, new intakes that were to have commenced as planned in late March and April, were postponed resulting in institutions being unable to meet cash flow requirements.

“At the same time, all major expenses including staff costs and rentals continue to be incurred during this period, ” said Parmjit.

For most institutions, employee salaries and infrastructure costs take up about 75% of operating costs. Some universities have already suspended the posts of consultants and contract staff, as a start.

And online study is not as simple as downloading a Zoom app, as it much more complex with additional unbudgeted investments to acquire and provide online tools, support resources and facilities as well as cloud services.

The cash flow problem has cropped up because most institutions allow for monthly and semester fee payments by students.

“For example, institutions which have semesters commencing in March and April have been unable to collect fees from a majority of students whilst they are studying online with the MCO in force. Those who have postponed the commencement of the new courses in March and April are equally affected, ” he said.

While one can argue that payments can be made online, the reality is that most students only pay up when they are present in campus.But the fear is that if the MCO or Covid-19 situation prolongs, there will be further impact on all institutions due to deferment or withdrawal from studies, especially by foreign students who have returned to their home countries.

Will the foreign students return? Well, that would depend on how we fight the Covid-19 outbreak, and most parents, would not like the idea of sending their children to Malaysia if it remains high on the list of affected countries. Let’s remember that they have other choices.

Parmjit said: “A number of factors would influence their decision, for example the impact on their personal finances; for those who are sponsored or under scholarships, would their sponsorship or scholarship continue post Covid-19?; travel and/or visa restrictions imposed by their respective countries or by our authorities; students adopting a wait-and-see approach and many will choose to defer their studies or find alternative destinations to complete their education.”

It is has been widely-reported that universities in other countries would face a similar predicament in terms of their international students returning to continue their studies. Many reports have highlighted estimates of between 20% and 40% of international students not returning immediately to continue studying at their host universities.

So what can the Malaysian government do to support this revenue-earning sector as part of a stimulus package in the existing term and long-term post-MCO?

It cannot be denied that the private education industry has struggled and grown totally unaided without any substantial fiscal support from the government compared with other sectors over the last four decades.

Parmjit has appealed to the government to introduce a stimulus package that would help the industry attract international students as soon as travel restrictions are lifted which must include the immediate revamp of Education Ministry Global Services and a review of the eligibility criteria for incentives and facilitation provided by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corp.

Malaysia also needs to make itself more attractive to international students.

According to the United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), Malaysia is among the most preferred tertiary education countries among international students.

Unesco’s International Students Mobility Survey 2014 ranked Malaysia as the 12th most preferred education destination in the world.The lower cost of living, use of English, a diverse culture, comfortable lifestyle and currency exchange rates have made the country attractive but we need to push ourselves to be more competitive.

It will help if the student visa process is made easier and faster, if the requirements are met after vetting.

There is no point in making Malaysia an education hub if the government does not get the support of all its agencies especially the little Napoleons.

Applicants will be put off if there is a lengthy process in comparison with other countries.

And finally, let’s face it, many Malaysians need to adopt an open attitude towards foreign students, especially the non-Caucasians.

The reality is that a majority of our international students are from Bangalesh, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Africa, China, the Middle East and Central Asia.

They don’t deserve to be treated as illegal immigrants if they have the necessary documents, and there is no reason for the police and immigration to harass them as perceived. Perception is everything, unfortunately.They are here to study and there is no reason for us to make it difficult for them to enter the country because of their appearance or colour of their skin.

It’s good that a permanent help centre is operational at the KLIA but we really need to change our ways.

Last year, there was a reported 130,110 students in Malaysia from 136 countries, mainly those in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa but for the private higher education institutions, there were 89,346 students as of February 2020. As of 2018, there were 92,415 foreign students in these colleges and universities.

The numbers have kept decreasing and with Covid-19, it will hit us even harder.

Mr Prime Minister, please drive the message down, as a former Education Minister, that this is a revenue-earning industry and the sector needs all the backing, as education is essential even in a recession.

Ignorance is bliss

A news report appeared in the New York Times a week ago. It was probably glossed over, even in the Big Apple, as most New Yorkers struggle with overnight unemployment and keeping a roof over their heads.

It was conspicuously absent from CNN’s newsfeeds, too, despite its world-wide audience, as it remains preoccupied with ridiculing President Trump, while Fox News was per-script in blaming the virus on China.

Most of us outside the US were expectedly unaware of this significant event.

But on March 29, the NY Times reported about a commercial aircraft carrying 80 tonnes of gloves, masks, gowns and other medical supplies from Shanghai, touching down in New York last Sunday, marking the first of 22 scheduled flights that White House officials say will supply much-needed goods to the US by early April.

The NY Times is a credible 169-year-old American newspaper with a worldwide influence and readership. It has won 127 Pulitzer Prizes – more than any other newspaper.

The report quoted Lizzie Litzow, a spokeswoman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who said the plane delivered 130,000 N95 masks, 1.8 million face masks and gowns, 10 million gloves and thousands of thermometers for distribution in NY, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Apparently, there should be subsequent flights to Chicago and Ohio, where supplies will be despatched to other states using private-sector distribution networks.

Now, here’s the gem. The NY Times added, attributing a White House spokesman, that the shipment from China which arrived in NY was the product of a public-private partnership – led by President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner – with major health care distributors including McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health, Owens & Minor, Medline and Henry Schein.

Representatives from those companies had previously met with Trump at the White House.

So, while Trump was busy throwing punches at China, with his incessant China Virus remarks, he was, instead, quietly seeking help from the republic behind the scenes.

Trump isn’t the only one culpable, either. His Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, is equally pompous with his obsession in lambasting China for everything, including Covid-19, from which spawned the now-infamous “China Virus” line.

His remarks have become much more contagious than the virus itself with each passing day.

The virus struck Wuhan, China, in December last year, then spread to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore, during which Trump was still dismissive of it.

He portrayed it as a mere flu bug, with his predictable barrage of false claims and fake news, and even until last month, he kept repeating that Covid- 19 was not as bad as the seasonal flu.

And of course, as the rest of Asia was busy stocking up on face masks, sterilisers and food supplies, he still insisted that “the United States is in a far better shape than other countries.”

None of us in Asia, especially, believed him. In fact, we feel sorry that many ordinary Americans didn’t wake up to the threat. Echoing their president’s sentiments, they assumed the US would be immune to it. Mr T shot from the hip again, and in his usual condescending manner.

After all, Asians deserve it, what with their filthy eating habits and dirty animal markets, right?

The British likely thought the same, and continued to attend huge gatherings like football matches, and went on pub crawls and walks in the park, too.

Asians watched in exasperation at the continuing nonchalance of these people.

Incredibly, as the bodies pile up at the morgue, there are US leaders who continue to engage in the meaningless blame game.

If they think they can gain sympathy with this inane approach, they should know that the virus isn’t going away, and eventually, victims will wise up. And as leaders, they will still have to tackle this health disaster.

As of now, US health workers have resorted to rationing protective gear or using homemade supplies, with the Department of Health and Human Services saying it estimates the US will require 3.5 billion masks if the pandemic lasts a year.

The NY Times, quoting Litzow, said “the overwhelming demand has set off a race among foreign countries, American officials at all levels of government and private individuals to acquire protective gear, ventilators and other much-needed goods from China, where newly built factories are churning out supplies even as China’s own epidemic wanes.”

It added that the US was working with manufacturers from Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, India, Honduras and Mexico.

Until a few months ago, the US was halting trade with China, imposing barriers and tariffs, and kicking out US-based Chinese scientists, but now, the NY Times reports that “American governors, mayors and lawmakers have been trying to arrange their own shipments of products from China, with some saying the federal government has been moving too slowly, which risks losing out to other foreign buyers.

“American officials have leaned on sister cities and province relationships, liaison offices they had set up in China to attract investment and connections with state-run Chinese companies to try to secure scarce equipment.”

It also said that the private sector, comprising a motley crew of wealthy individuals, charitable organizations and corporate executives with connections to China, have also stepped forward to help deliver goods to the United States.

Tragically, as Italy and Spain, among other nations, battle helplessly against the Covid-19 virus, the European Union’s miserable failure casts a long shadow. No EU member has sent aid to their Italian brethren.

The politicians can question China’s motives in its aid offer, in what is now dubbed the “face mask diplomacy”, but real help goes a long way in tough times. Talk is cheap, President Trump.

Representing the private sector, Jack Ma, the Chinese billionaire and co-founder of Alibaba, donated a million masks and 500,000 test kits to the US.

Other benefitting countries of the masks will include Spain, Belgium and France, with the same resource already sent to Czech Republic, Greece and Serbia.

For Malaysia, China has donated 100,008 units of novel coronavirus nucleic acid diagnostic (PCR-Fluorescence Probing) test kits, 100,000 pieces of N95 face masks, 500,000 pieces of surgical masks, 50,000 units of personal protective equipment (PPE) and 200 ventilators.

The Committee of 100, a leadership organisation of Americans of Chinese descent, has raised US$1mil (RM4.3mil) to purchase medical supplies and protective gear from around the world to help their country.

Against this backdrop of generosity and care, Pompeo still had time to hold a global teleconference on March 29, as he continued his offensive on China for its alleged campaign of misinformation on the virus.

Idiotic bureaucratism, indifferent leadership and endless blunders have all put the US in its current situation. Blame no one, but yourself, President Trump. Likewise, Pompeo.

All things must pass

Be the change you wish to see in the world, said Gandhi. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has taken fate into its own hands and altered our lives permanently.

LET’S face it. Life will never be the same again for Malaysians, if or when the Movement Control Order (MCO) is lifted on April 14, because we can’t ever let our guard down again.

Truth be told, the fight against the Covid-19 virus will be long haul and it won’t disappear even after the MCO has ended, a sentiment echoed by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his deputy, Heng Swee Keat, who both predict it will see out the entire year.

We must resign to the New Normal being here to stay. The virus will still be lurking beyond our homes, waiting to strike insidiously, but unfortunately, we must continue to live and work. We can’t remain locked in like rats forever.

For a start, it will now become socially acceptable to wear face masks, like with most people in Hong Kong and China, following the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002.

While the debate rages on whether face masks can combat Covid-19, with health experts weighing in on the argument, it has become common practice, common courtesy, or call it plain common sense, to wear one for the immediate future as soon as we’re out of a controlled environment like home.

In the cities of Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo, where air pollution has constantly choked them, it has become a necessity even.

No way can it be business as usual after April 14, when millions of us resume living like before, oblivious to the recent past and naively believing we’re once more safe.

Hong Kong and China are experiencing a second wave of Covid-19, with many imported cases, especially through those returning from abroad. Their borders are now closed to outsiders while entertainment outlets remain shut.

As CNN accurately reported, “this is a pattern playing out across parts of Asia – mainland China, Singapore, Taiwan – that were among the first to tackle the outbreak. All are now introducing new restrictions as a sudden wave of renewed cases begins to crest.

“Compared to major cities in the West, like London or New York, residents in Hong Kong can sometimes feel as if they’re living in the future. Many of the measures enacted in the Asian metropolis back in February are now being rolled out in European and American cities.

“But this latest lesson may be a bitter pill to swallow, as it indicates that quarantines and social distancing must continue well beyond the initial wave of cases, if another round of infections is to be avoided. For those just going into lockdown, that could mean they’re in for the long haul.”

After two weeks of working from home, the analogue way of operating from the old-fashioned office will now need a rethink.

From the employer’s perspective, paying utility bills, cleaning washrooms and providing car park spaces will all look infinitely dispensable.

We’ve been able to function effectively because of technology. The older among us, especially bosses, have been forced to adapt to technology to reach employees.

Insisting their staff break the MCO rule for physical meetings isn’t an option.

Our homes have now become our offices. I’m fortunate that I’m always productive at home, particularly with my writing, when I’m devoid of office distractions.

Modern newsrooms have long had their reporters’ copies edited in other parts of the world, including in Australia, as Asian publishers trimmed their workforce, closed offices and dealt with the problems of deteriorating standards in English.

As Al-Jazeera reported, quoting analysts, that “the pandemic and the measures we are taking to save ourselves could permanently change the ways in which we live, work, worship and play in the future. Envisioning that post-pandemic world is key in ensuring we change for the better, not the worse.”

Friday prayers for Muslims and Sunday church services have both been called off.

President Donald Trump talks of getting past the lockdown by Easter, his only concern to resurrect the dying businesses by April 12, done at the expense of saving lives. All this against a backdrop of increasing cases and death toll.

The United States now has the highest number of known cases in the world, with more than 104,000, surpassing China and Italy.

The gathering of huge numbers of people for prayer may be a practice, but religious leaders of the various faiths will now have to manage the crowds more effectively in the New Normal.

Options that need consideration include using digital tools to reach out to the faithful, which might be more effective, and restricting the number of pilgrims gathered.

I can’t picture how big concerts, or football matches, attended by 60,000 people each time, will look like from now.

How will we travel henceforth in the age of social distancing? It doesn’t matter whether you travel in economy or business class but imagine being stuck in a plane for 16 hours or more.

New management attention, in a post-MCO period, needs to be installed and in the coming months, the situation will become tougher.

Sitting closely at food courts must now be reviewed, with operators in Singapore already taking the initiative by putting alternate seats to create some form of social distancing.

Instead of going to the cinemas, video-on-demand service will become more essential, as those of us now imprisoned at home can attest.

Digital will be all-encompassing from now. If the West has long questioned the use of digital surveillance by China, especially, of its citizens, it’s now proven that it can be a useful weapon in the fight against Covid-19.

Authorities can keep track of the movements of Covid-19 patients through their mobile phones, for example, even if that means intruding on the privacy of users.

The Covid-19 outbreak has truly assaulted our lives. From the carnage, though, comes the realisation of our mistakes and the way we’ve taken many things in life for granted. Sure, we know the errors of our ways, but how long will realisation remain reality?

The simple pleasure of life – eating two half-boiled eggs, with toasted bread layered with butter and kaya, along with a cup of Milo, has never tasted so beautiful. And it’s a morning treat for me to have the newspapers in hand, too.

Let’s count our blessings and stay safe and positive, Malaysia.

MCO extension: A bitter but critical pill

FINALLY, the announcement that we had been bracing for – a two-week extension of the movement control order just as we passed the one-week mark.

It has not come as a surprise to most of us as the number of Covid-19 cases has continued to go up.

The Prime Minister, in making the extension announcement, also revealed that the trend was expected to continue for a while before we see a decline in the number of new cases.

It is a good decision by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, although many businesses had hoped that this extension would not happen.

It is a painful decision as small businesses will collapse with a loss of jobs as their cash reserves run dry. It would just be impossible for many to sustain their business.

Most businessmen have expressed their fear that many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will not last six months if their sales continue to drop.

For ordinary wage earners, who are still getting their salaries while working at home, they know it’s not a paid holiday. They may not be able to grapple with the enormous problems of their employers who are juggling the bills now, with most facing zero revenue.

For daily wage earners, especially drivers and construction workers, a month without income is a nightmare.

But saving lives is now the priority. Malaysians are entering the most crucial period where we must break down the transmission chain.

This is our last chance. This is the only tiny window that we have to ensure that most of us will get out of this safe, or to put it bluntly, alive.

As at noon today (March 25), the number of people who had been infected by the virus reached 1,796, with the death toll now at 17. The numbers have continued to rise.

The extension of the MCO will mean not enough has been done and if the trend continues, after this extra two weeks, Malaysia will need even more stringent measures, including a total lockdown or curfew.

On Tuesday (March 24), Sarawak became the first state to impose a curfew from 7pm to 7am.

The regulation will last until March 31, and is an additional and stricter measure being enforced by the state government to stem the spread of Covid-19, which has claimed five lives in the state.

The coming weeks will be a rough time for all of us. But surely much more for our hospital staff, who are logging in long hours and working in extreme conditions as they cope with an average of 100 cases a day.

It is a war that we cannot lose. Losing is not an option. Let’s remind ourselves again, that the third wave will be as big as a tsunami – and these are not my words but those of Health director-general Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

The last thing this country needs, at this critical juncture, are Malaysians who post racist and insensitive videos and comments on social media.

They need to be arrested or to get psychiatric help but luckily for them, we have bigger worries such as fighting the killer virus.

The authorities will get back to you once this is done, as it’s another disease we need to tackle.

Too much time on their hands

An idle mind are the devil’s workshop, but idle time is the bane of the boss’ existence, much to the peril of the employee.

AFTER five days of the movement control order, the average Malaysian office worker has found out that working away from the office doesn’t amount to escaping their bosses.

It is fast developing into a “plague” as workers now have to deal with their bored bosses operating from home.

Most of us agree that if bosses are busy at the office, they would be kept occupied with their endless meetings, business meals with associates, golf with politicians, and entertainment with clients.

These are called essential services – to keep clients happy.

But as the days have gone by, going online has become a virtual nightmare for many.

Just when we thought we could sit in front of our laptop with our ears plugged into Spotify, we are being told we have to “look presentable” even when operating from home.

We might be away from the office, but we’re certainly being watched.

The dress code requirement, even if casual, is a reminder that this isn’t a two-week holiday – work must proceed as normal, only from home.

Since my entire wardrobe is packed with batik shirts, a standard fare these days, I just can’t imagine myself sitting in my room in a batik shirt dealing with employers.

Let’s admit it, our bosses don’t trust us. Not one bit. So, many of them have insisted that online meetings must start at 9am. Previously, office meetings began at 10am because superiors were stuck in traffic jams, especially if offices are in downtown Kuala Lumpur.

Now, this 9am meeting schedule is bad. I’m not sure if it violates the rights of workers. I don’t even know who to ask any more since the Human Resources Minister role has become a revolving door.

Now we can’t even walk away for a teh tarik at the canteen or elsewhere with our colleagues to whine about our politicians and our bosses, in case they buzz us again.

The super-sweet three-in-one teh tarik sachets that we make now at home will kill us with diabetes faster than the Covid 19 virus. This can’t go on for another two weeks. Malaysian workers will turn into zombies.

It’s clear that boredom, and the endless nagging and scolding from the bosses’ spouses, are affecting them. These emotional problems are eating into their brains, like those movies about contagion viruses that we probably don’t want to watch now.

No wonder working class Malaysians have experienced more scolding since the movement control order (MCO) was executed. It’s a chain reaction, bos kena marah kat rumah, bos marah kita lah.

An investment banker friend lamented to me that his clients keep calling him every other hour for advice and decisions since the stock market is in free fall.

He said clients have lost their marbles with the beating their profits have been taking, and the investment in stocks are also seeing red all the way. So harga saham jatuh, kita kena marah pulak. Aduh, nasib kita.

To add to the misery and pressure, Datin No 2 sudah marah because the boss has not gone out since MCO restriction. Datin No 2 sudah buat bising dia lonely.

Then, there is the biggest nightmare – the micro-managing boss who’s digitally illiterate.

The endless WhatsApp texts, FaceTime, online conferencing and calls have little value. These are the bosses who still insist on emergency meetings in the office, even if they’re not in the essential services category. What social distancing?

“What’s not essential? We are going under if we continue like this, of course, it’s an emergency, ” these bosses bark.

Amid coping with the bosses, I also have to deal with the endless texts from friends with messages that look like cut and paste jobs: “Bro, very bored, what are you doing now?” Do I really look like the type who goofs around?

And as a true-blue Penangite, despite having stayed in Kuala Lumpur for close to 30 years, I still crave my nasi kandar, prawn mee and char koay teow. The MCO is literally eating into me with all the kopi tiam closed.

It’s now confirmed that it’s a global conspiracy to force the working class to work 24 hours a day. Trump is right, after all.

And scientists will soon reveal that inactivity, besides work, will make us more susceptible to the virus.

I’ve reached the lowest point of boredom – the proof is watching Sound of Music on Astro at 3pm.

* This is a tongue in cheek piece that is not to be taken literally. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is too busy tracing fake news.

Off with the gloves

Taking a risk: Although many shoppers at the wet market wore masks, they jostled with each other and had body contact while engrossed in selecting vegetables and fishes at the stalls.

FINALLY, we are seeing a real show of authority to remind defiant and indifferent Malaysians that they must stay at home, because they better wake up and take this war against the deadly virus seriously now.By the time you read this, the army would have made their presence felt as they would be seen stationed across the nation.

Our soldiers will surely beef up the police and local council officers’ efforts to tighten the grip on the movement control order to ensure its success.

The last time our armed forces were deployed into the streets was 50 years ago, during the May 13 riots of 1969, when they served alongside the Federal Reserve Unit.

Today, we are fighting an unseen enemy, one so small it could hardly seem dangerous. Yet, Covid-19 has brought the world to its knees, and a vaccine is barely in sight.

Strangely, the state of global emergency is falling on deaf ears in some quarters. Frankly, I am fed up of watching videos of Malaysians quarrelling with officers who are merely trying to do their job in advising them to stay indoors.

Yes, a curfew hasn’t been instated and there have been debates over whether the authorities can stop anyone from strolling or jogging alone in a public space but let’s not get into a legal dispute with an officer who only means well.

We all know how indisciplined Malaysians can be. My colleagues, across the nation, have filed enough news stories and shared sufficient information on how apathetic many of us still are.

In one case in Penang, a group of senior citizens refused to leave their tables outside a coffeeshop, unfazed by the many complaints against them. Unsurprisingly, this is fast earning them notoriety on social media, courtesy of the smart phone.

In food courts and restaurants, in Penang, again, customers continued to come out in droves to buy food and mingle while waiting for their food to be prepared. Ditto in Sarawak.

At the SS2 wet market in Petaling Jaya, I saw how housewives have body contact with each other while engrossed in selecting vegetables and fishes at the stalls. They wore face masks, which means they understand the dangers of the virus, yet they jostled next to each other.

Elsewhere, the young seem nonchalant about the whole exercise as they continue playing games in fields and courts, ignorantly believing they couldn’t possibly catch the bug in such scenarios. And when they are stopped by the authorities, some of them turn into loyar buruk – someone who isn’t a trained lawyer, yet provides, or interprets legal opinions unsolicited. Then their tirade takes a condescending tone with the officers, as they attempt to display how clever they are.

On Friday, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said adherence to the order was increasing among the people, but there were still incidents of people disregarding it by playing games outdoors, going to the playground and eating in food outlets. He said unreasonable Malaysians were making life difficult for medical frontliners who are already working around the clock to contain the Covid-19 outbreak.

Refusing to be quarantined, demanding unnecessary screenings, lying about their travel history, and concealing their exposure to a positive patient – these are just some of the ridiculous and nagging issues medical personnel are facing.

In democratic countries, where personal liberties are upheld, it will always be a struggle for the authorities that have implemented partial lockdown, or the movement control order. It’s impossible to arrest those who break the rules in large numbers, and the fine seems small for these incorrigible people.

But casting our indifference aside, let’s please heed the warning.

It’s different in China, where the sledgehammer treatment is used. Those who flout the law for not wearing face masks are targeted by the police.

Malaysia only has a tiny window to break down the two-week transmission chain. The deadline is ticking away fast, amidst the increasing number of cases.

Last week, Health director-general Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah rightly said that Malaysia risks seeing a third wave of the virus, spelling out the obviously grim consequences should that happen. He warned, in clear terms, that failure is not an option and this third wave will be as big as a tsunami, more so if we retain a lackadaisical attitude.

We have already passed the 1,000 mark of confirmed cases and have been logging in an average of 100 new cases a day over the past few days.

The spike in cases will have an impact on the number of hours and extreme working conditions of our hospital staff. Our frontliners have been our heroes, but there is a breaking point even for them.

Our worst fears are now reality. Up to Friday, 15 medical personnel tested positive, with 12 from the Health Ministry (MOH) and three from the private sector. One of the 12 MOH workers is currently in ICU on ventilator support.

It doesn’t help that some of these officials have had to track down those who have been in close contact or participated in the tabligh event at the Sri Petaling mosque.

There were 16,000 of them, and one can imagine the magnitude of the disaster. Those who were at the mosque have already made up the largest number of victims from a single cluster group.

It’s now just an academic exercise if we were to reconstruct how we allowed the gathering to be held, which led to such a dramatic and devastating spread of the disease.

But we’re not making any headway when there are still ignorant foreign theologians who continue to tell the faithful they should be fearful of God and not the virus, to justify continued gatherings.

And now we have reversed our decision to ban Malaysians from going to Singapore to work. The pressure, surely from Singapore and Johorean workers, must have been enormous.

Hopefully, we don’t see a sea of people jamming the immigration counters in Johor, which could likely generate a third wave.

Let’s remember Dr Hisham Noor’s warning – compliance is compulsory, because the next swell will be a tsunami.

Walk the MCO talk, by staying put

NO flip-flops please. The government needs to stand firm in carrying out the measures that were announced as part of the movement restriction order.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muyhiddin Yassin cannot afford to bend the rules, make compromises or reverse decisions, as that would put at risk the actions that have to be taken to fight the killer Covid-19 virus.

Health director-general Datuk Seri Noor Hisham Abdullah has rightly said that Malaysia risks seeing a third wave of the virus, adding that if that happens, we will see many victims.

He has warned, in clear terms, that failure is not an option and this third wave will be as big as a tsunami, more so if we have a lackadaisical attitude.

Malaysians have only a small window of opportunity to break the two-week transmission chain.

The number of confirmed cases, so far, has not dropped and there are fears that it will go up further.

It doesn’t help when we hear talks are already underway to reopen the southern land crossings with Singapore, barely 48 hours after the order by the PM.

Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad must be under tremendous pressure from Johorean workers, business groups, and especially Singapore, which depends on the Malaysian workforce.

He is asking for exemptions, promising increased health screenings and submitting a mitigation plan, but these are mere afterthoughts and essentially would see us going back to the massive bottleneck that we see each day, all over again.

Purported stringent checks, if really effectively carried out, will only hold up the traffic flow and we can imagine what the scene would be like.

Nice try, but if we allow this exemption, we are exposing Malaysians to greater risks.

Malaysia has already made enough blunders, including imposing inter-state travels that require police permits, only to have the order rescinded wihin hours.

None of our police top guns expected the large crowds that swarmed police stations nationwide, and one can imagine the number of bodily contacts that took place.

It would have been much simpler if all Malaysians needed to do was to file the application online, via the Web or an app, but the damage was already done. It was not a practical and enforceable decision unless a curfew was imposed.

Likewise, when the movement control order was imposed, the government did not emphasise the need to stay at home, and not carry the health risks to their families back home. It really was a debacle.

Our leaders are always mindful, perhaps to the point of instilling a false sense of assurance, in their choice of words. Yes, we should not panic Malaysians, but let’s be serious: we are facing an escalating crisis.

It’s good that only the PM has been given the job to talk, and perhaps a few senior ministers. The last thing we need now are conflicting statements or inane remarks that all is well and fine, when it isn’t.

We are worried about taking strong measures, with the fear of a political backlash. But, barely two days after the imposition of strong restrictions, many Malaysians were still flouting the order with continued indifference – although the PM’s “stay home” appeal on television did help to create greater awareness.

Let’s not go the Italian way, where the country has become the epicentre of the virus in Europe, although Covid-19 had already surfaced on Feb 18, where a man sought treatment but was not diagnosed with the virus and was even allowed to go home.

On Feb 23, after more cases and the first two deaths were detected, authorities reportedly put about 50,000 people in Codogno and 10 other towns under lockdown, it was reported, as more measures were imposed on nearby Milan, Italy’s economic engine, including the closure of schools and a 6pm curfew for bars and restaurants.

But like Malaysians, the Italians took life lightly, with Wired in its online edition reported that “without full blown lockdowns, Italians continued to be on the streets. Every day, pictures surfaced of packed ski resorts, free cultural events or people enjoying drinks in crowded places.”

The latest news was that of 345 new Covid-19 deaths in the country, taking its total death toll to 2,503 – an increase of 16 percent.

The total number of cases in Italy rose to 31,506 from a previous 27,980, up 12.6 percent – the slowest rate of increase since the contagion came to light on Feb 21. Italy is the European country hardest hit by the coronavirus.

In another article on Italy, quoting University of Oxford researchers in the journal Demographic Science, the writers pointed out that frequent travel between cities and family homes may have exacerbated the “silent” spread of the novel coronavirus.

“Young people working and socialising in urban areas interact with large crowds, where they may pick up the disease and take it home. If they have no symptoms, they’ll have no clue that they’re infecting their elders, the most vulnerable population, ” Wired reported on March 17.

That sounds familiar, and this is what Malaysian health authorities fear the most from the balik kampung exodus.

We have already used up 48 hours of the two-week deadline, and if we fail to keep the number of confirmed cases down, then it’s time for stricter measures, such as extending wider social restrictions or even imposing a lockdown.

As Italian health researcher Nino Cartabellotta has been quoted as saying, in Wired, “waiting strategies have always favoured the spread of the virus.”

For Malaysia, any u-turn now will surely be ill-advised.

And please, YAB Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Abang Openg, make sure your bodyguards have their body temperature taken and use the sanitisers too, please.

Be serious: Not a lockdown, but not a holiday either

MANY Malaysians don’t seem to get it. We are to stay at home, period. Instead the movement control order has led to many of us hitting the highways to balik kampung.

Some of us have gone on “Cuti Cuti Malaysia” and joined the large crowds at tourist spots, at least, until last week.

The worst is the large number of Malaysians who still eat at restaurants and food courts, that are flouting the laws by remaining open and allowing dine-ins.

I woke up this morning to find pictures that have gone viral showing scenes of people in Sarawak, having breakfast at eateries.

Then there was a picture of a large number of people at a Penang food court waiting for their food to be packed. It did not show these Penangites eating, but the number of people sitting and chilling out defeats the purpose of the government’s decision.

In most of the places, it involves older people, who are most at risk.

Malaysians are taking this order too lightly although the number of Covid-19 confirmed cases have shot up dramatically with the first two deaths reported.

We now have the highest number of cases in South-East Asia, yet some of us are taking it lightly, and even indifferently.

Beyond reading the daily news and talking about it, our actions and health practices, especially the constant washing of hands, are still not being practised by many.

There were over 16,000 people including 1,500 foreigners at the Tabligh gathering in Sri Petaling mosque, with the health authorities now fighting against the clock to trace those who had attended.

A 34-year-old Malaysian man who attended the event died on Tuesday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba announced, the first death linked to the Feb 27-March 1 event.

Out of Malaysia’s 673 confirmed coronavirus cases, nearly two-thirds are reportedly linked to the four-day meeting, Dr Adham said.

The reality is that it will be difficult to trace all the participants because of the mobility of people, and it doesn’t help that over 1,000 people would have since left Malaysia.

It’s a time bomb. They may not even know that they have already caught the virus and would have passed the killer bug to fellow travellers and their family members.

No one can tell how many of these participants had been infected and are, in turn, spreading the virus.

A Christian pastor from Sarawak has also died from Covid-19, making the two the first Malaysian fatalities.

While he has a history of diabetes and hypertension, it isn’t known where the first point of contact was.

It cannot be verified if it was from a gathering such as a church event or a wedding but certainly efforts have been made to screen those he had contact with.

Malaysians need to stay home – the current restricted movement is just for two weeks, which is the incubation period of the virus and to enable the authorities to trace those who have been infected.

The message must be driven to everyone, and that includes royalty and ministers.

If you have no business or requirement to visit hospitals or crisis centres, just stay at home.

That’s the whole point. This is not the time for publicity.

And there is absolutely no reason to get your wantan mee, mee goreng or chicken rice from the shops. You can have all that you have missed in a fortnight. Use delivery services if you need food.

The government has been extremely lenient by not imposing a lockdown. It does not even want to use the term but instead calls it a movement control order.

But unfortunately we are dealing with Malaysians, who refuse to accept that we have to minimise the spread of the virus. If the numbers do not subside by the last few days of the two weeks, we should brace ourselves for the long haul and tougher actions, as is seen in other countries.

It could lead to a total shutdown or even curfew if the situation does not improve, and the economic losses would be even greater.

If that’s not enough, the annual Cheng Beng Festival, or the Chinese All Souls Day, of tomb sweeping will take place around April 4-6, with crowded praying activities at cemeteries and temple premises.

It involves a lot of travelling, and another round of balik kampung, but the reality is that such activities this year have to be postponed, and Malaysians have no choice but to resort to praying at home. There is no other way.

Again, we cannot allow religious bodies to decide – the Federal Government has to put its foot down, with the support of the Taoist and Chinese leaders.

Filial piety is important but it is more important to express and demonstrate it when these old folks are still alive, and not after they have passed away.

So, Malaysians, please take this first 14 days very seriously. Yes, this is a matter of life and death – literally. This is not a holiday but a shutdown.