US President Donald Trump made world headlines when he announced last week that he had contracted Covid-19, and then was immediately whisked to hospital.

The world expected him to be confined for at least a week or more but surprisingly, he was discharged after three nights.

No one’s even sure if he’s now in quarantine at the White House. We’re hearing nothing at the moment. Did he discharge himself by exercising his presidential rights, or did the doctors really think he was already in the pink of health?

Come on, none of us believe this, unless politicians are a special breed of people immune to the virus.

Our leaders will be dealt with cynical smirks and disgust when they tell us that there are no double standards in the enforcement of quarantine and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Ordinary Malaysians infected with the virus can expect to be isolated at Sungai Buloh Hospital, at least that’s what’s happening in our country.

In the United Kingdom, “victims” are being asked to stay home until significant complications surface. And that’s simply because the health system has collapsed, and they can’t cope with the sheer numbers anymore.

Then, there is the indifference among Britons towards the pandemic. Malaysians living there get the impression they are taking it lightly.

Many Britons allude to disliking instructions which impede on their personal liberties, so no one is going to tell them to wear a facial mask, or ban them from having their pint at the pub.

But at home, complacency is obviously one reason why our numbers have also shot up beyond the movement control order (MCO) period. In fact, it’s the grimmest picture we’ve painted yet since Covid-19 hit us.

If the MCO kept us indoors with its tight rules, then we are losing that safety net because it’s unlikely it will be re-imposed due to the disastrous implications for the economy.

We’re already worse for wear as layoffs and pay cuts have continued. Many companies are still struggling to stay afloat and signs indicate they can’t survive for long.

Our politicians must be deaf or plain clueless if they don’t know the sentiments on the ground.

Some people have put up banners venting their anger at the intense politicking taking place in Malaysia.

We may think they are politically motivated and aimed at making the government look bad, which could be the case, but seriously, people are just fed up because they have greater concerns on their minds.

The police also have better things to do than trace the people behind the banners in Ipoh and Johor Bahru.

And now, we’re all worried about becoming Covid-19’s next victim.

Surely it seems totally out of place for us to deal with a general election and jostle for positions while Malaysia faces numerous challenges.

In Sabah, former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman has been targeted for triggering a snap state election.

Some of our politicians have become infected, thanks to the Sabah elections, in which necessary health SOPs were likely ignored.

And some of them probably think they have super immune systems, like Donald Trump, and returned to Kuala Lumpur and carried out their work like usual, without being quarantined at home.

Like with the first MCO, the fear is that it will be the marginalised groups like the B40, migrant workers and small local businesses that will be most affected.

Many Sabahans who returned to KL have contributed to the spread of the disease.

Malaysians have every reason to fear that a snap election or the coming Sarawak election will replicate the Covid-19 outbreak in Sabah.

We look bad because there’s only so much the Health Ministry and its frontline workers can do. If our politicians and campaigners choose to ignore the rules, no one can stop them, especially if they’re political bigshots.

Singapore, South Korea and New Zealand have all recently held their elections and managed to keep everything under control.

All the campaigners, regardless of their allegiance, must bear the blame in one way or another. The Election Commission has mandated that campaign events adhere to physical distancing, temperature checks, recording attendances, limiting the size of rallies and the mandatory use of face masks and hand sanitisers.

Yet, parties still conducted traditional campaign events where members shook the hands of potential voters, said Thomas Fann, chairman of election watchdog Bersih, who was in Sabah to observe the polls.

The Edge reported that photographs from the campaign trail showed one politician from the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah side, who later tested positive, not wearing a mask while squatting inches away from a trader at a wet market. Authorities later closed the market indefinitely.

The Health Ministry should have insisted that everyone returning from Sabah be self-quarantined for 14 days. The same rules should be applied with no exceptions.

But the government said there was no need for the two-week confinement if those returning from Sabah tested negative.

DAP assemblyman Lim Yi Wei tested positive five days after returning from Sabah, even though an initial test at the airport showed that she didn’t have the virus.

Then, there is Religious Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, who has also tested positive for Covid-19.

He attended a Cabinet meeting and had close contact with Cabinet ministers and Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, all of whom have since undergone health screening. He also attended numerous events from Sept 24 to Oct 4. Those who have been exposed to virus carriers are advised to go for Covid-19 screening at any government clinic as soon as possible.

In many of the photographs, he was seen not wearing a mask.

Yet, during the MCO, he was very careful, so this can only be attributed to complacency, which many of us are guilty of. The only difference is we never needed to visit Sabah or attend the many functions politicians have to.

The paradox is that politicians still eat, sleep and dream about having elections as soon as possible, purportedly to serve us better, but without the thought that an election could put us all at risk of being infected with the virus.

It seems that getting themselves elected and being rewarded with positions are more important than anything else, and at the end of the day, what could average Malay-sians get even if these politicians can dramatically transform their lives? Nothing.

While the new Members of Parliament enjoy their new perks and privileges, the rest of us are still stuck with our pay cuts and eating the same “economy rice” or “nasi budget”.

Malaysians have earned the right to be cynical and pour scorn on these selfish politicians.

There is a famous Malay proverb, “harapkan pagar, pagar makan padi”, which, translated to English means, we depend on the fence, yet the fence “ate” the padi.

This proverb is normally used when a person is relied upon and trusted to protect something, yet is the one destroying the subject of protection.

My friend Anas Zubedy has modified it instead to “harapkan politik, politik makan hati”, which means if you place your hope on politics, you will end up disappointed.

Then there is another proverb “sebab nila setitik, rosak susu sebelanga”, where the closest English equivalent would be, because of one person’s bad behaviour, the whole community gets a bad name, or one bad apple spoils the bunch.

Anas thinks it should now be “sebab politik setitik, rosak negara sebelanga”, meaning because of politics, the whole nation has been affected.

I will stick to one simple Malay word whose nuances can only be captured in Bahasa Malaysia: it’s meluat (fed up). I hope our politicians who dream every night of delusions of grandeur get it.

THE most disturbing news of the week has to be Covid-19 returning with a vengeance. Sure, it never went away, but this looks to be the scariest wave of the pandemic yet.

The Health Ministry announced yesterday the disturbing news that we had 317 new confirmed cases, the highest number of infections since Malaysia became a casualty of the deadly virus.

Sabah and Kedah recorded the highest numbers yesterday, with 155 and 102 respectively.

The signs have been growing. New cases reported on Friday had already reached 287.

The bulk of them (128) were from the jail in Kedah identified as the Tembok cluster, while two new clusters were identified in Selangor, Seri Anggerik (eight cases) and Seri Setia (one case).

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said Malaysia was probably experiencing a “new wave” as the number of cases continued to climb.

“If we look at the chart, we have an increase in cases lately. That probably is the beginning of a new wave,” he told a press conference on Thursday.

We seem to have gone back to the movement control order (MCO) period when we registered 190 cases on March 15.

Dr Noor didn’t mince his words when he tweeted on Thursday, “How about all stay at Home for awhile again?”, which hinted his frustration, and likely echoed that of the frontliners’.

He downplayed it later, explaining that it was merely an advisory, and suggested that Malaysians who need not be out and about should just stay at home.

Basically, if we need to leave the house, we should adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) installed by the Health Ministry since Day One of the MCO in March, and the reason we have arrived at the recovery MCO stage.

Dr Noor’s tweet has snapped us out of our false sense of security, since alarming triple-digit figures have returned.

The number of new cases on Saturday was the highest registered ever in the country. During the first wave of Covid-19 cases in March and April, daily figures were below 260, although at that time, Malaysia’s testing capacity was below the current level.

Active cases yesterday reached 1,735, a level unseen since late April.

The number of Malaysians who found themselves infected while campaigning in the recent Sabah state elections has certainly set alarm bells ringing.

Last week, 35 teachers and 67 students were exposed to two SMK Pendamar Jaya female students who tested positive for Covid-19.

The girls and their family members had gone home to Sabah recently to attend a wedding, and a few of them tested positive for Covid-19 not long after returning to the peninsula. The family lives in Bukit Tinggi, which is close to Klang.

The school was not asked to close, with state health director Datuk Dr Sha’ari Ngadiman saying the infected students’ contact with other students was minimal.

He assured that necessary measures had been taken, but until the second tests are conducted on the teachers and students, parents, teachers and students will be on tenterhooks.

A different approach was taken in Penang. The school SK Per-matang Janggus, Penaga, was ordered to close from Thursday till Oct 8 after a teacher there tested positive for Covid-19.

Penang State Education Depart-ment director Abdul Rashid Abdul Samad said the closure order was issued to curb the virus’ spread.

“At the moment, the school will be closed for eight days and any other decision will be made after a meeting with the Ministry of Health (MOH),” he said.

So, two different approaches are being taken. The fear now is that more school children could be affected. It’s impossible for there to be zero infections because until a vaccine is found, we simply have to learn to live with this killer virus.

We must protect ourselves and stop being complacent, or even think it won’t affect us.

The consolation is that the authorities have now become more adept at dealing with the outbreak, and as Dr Noor has continually reminded, the onus is still on us to flatten the curve of the rate of infections by adhering to government guidelines.

But staring at us is the possibility of a general election being called within the first quarter of 2021.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is facing enormous pressure to call for a general election. It isn’t only because Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim claims he has enough Members of Parliament with him.

There are Umno lawmakers, especially those not holding government posts or facing multiple charges in courts, pushing for snap polls, too.

Also, Sarawak is already preparing for the prospect of state elections, and time is running out since Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Abang Openg must call for polls by June 2021.

Talk is that the Federal Government wants him to hold the state polls simultaneously with the general election, and that can only mean by the first quarter of 2021.

As Anwar waits for an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, it’s very unlikely that the King will simply consent for him to be installed as PM.

He would need to consult the current PM, too, to be assured Muhyiddin still commands the majority, even if it’s wafer thin. The two likely options include either asking for Parliament to be dissolved or waiting for Dewan Rakyat to reconvene next month.

Dewan Rakyat will sit from Nov 2 to Dec 15, with the Budget to be tabled on Nov 6, and it’s almost a certainty that this will be an election budget.

Muhyiddin will surely take every opportunity to conjure populist measures that will help him win the elections, particularly continuing relief for Malaysians, what with the Covid-19 pandemic still raging.

Then, there’s the 12th Malaysian Plan, which will be tabled in Parliament in January – and that will again be used to mirror the manifesto of the present federal government as it takes the final lap before dissolving Parliament.

Until these two important matters are tabled and settled, it’s unlikely that the GE will be held next month or in December, because there are no signs the machinery has been activated.

These plans will surely help Muhyiddin be portrayed as a credible leader to lead the country and earn him the mandate he desperately needs.

The endless politicking and instability have come at a heavy cost to Malaysia.

Foreign investors will not pour money into Malaysia if they are unsure who the PM will be tomorrow.

The longer we wait for elections to be called, the worse it will be for all of us, so the scenario is looking like a double-edged sword.

The concern here is, if the general election is called, we will have a serious problem dealing with the potential of a spike in Covid-19 cases, like with Sabah following its recent campaign.

Last week, financial analyst Fitch Solutions revealed its prediction that politics in Malaysia is expected to blunt economic growth for the next decade.

Combined with slower population growth and reduced fiscal space to cushion against negative future economic shocks, Fitch predicts real GDP growth to be at just 3.4% over the next 10 years, compared to 6.4% over the past decade.

“Having exhausted avenues of growth provided by lower-level industrialisation, Malaysia has to upgrade its economy in order to escape the middle-income trap,” it said in a commentary.

Fitch Solutions said any effort to upgrade the Malaysian economy may be hampered by political uncertainty and stalling reform momentum amid a shift toward populism, which is likely to present serious risks to its success.

The endless politicking, the worsening Covid-19 situation and the continuing slide in business and economy are dogging Malaysia. So, the least we can do now is restore political stability.

THERE’S a Malay word to describe the current state of politics in Malaysia: meluat. It means disgusted, but the gravity of its meaning is best delivered through the original Malay word.

Ordinary Malaysians, who are struggling to pay their bills with their limited salaries, have no time for the intense politicking that’s unfolding.

Why should they care about power struggles, be it the front door, back door or revolving door varieties, when most workers are only worried about losing their jobs? After all, they may be shown the door by their bosses in these tough times.

As the moratorium for loan repayments comes to an end, the brunt of Covid-19’s impact on businesses will now be felt as relief aid comes to an end soon, too.

Small businesses, which can no longer keep their heads above water, will likely pack it in because higher operating costs can’t offset dwindling returns.

Concerns have been voiced about the downward trend causing insufficient funds for staff wages and other expenses.

Employers can no longer dig into their reserves to pay the bills since their clients are showing little sign of paying up. Cash flow is running dangerously low.

Businessmen and workers are counting how much money they have left and not how many members of Parliament can be secured for a power grab.

They are worried sick looking at the pile of letters from debtors, creditors and banks, not to mention the Inland Revenue Board.

Who gives a damn about valueless statutory declarations (SDs) signed by disreputable politicians?

These squabbling elected representatives are more concerned about their own positions and what benefits they can secure for themselves and their cronies instead of our wellbeing, the common folk.

It’s about chasing a government post, being chairman or director. If it’s none of the above, then it’s about securing a Tan Sri or Datuk title.

Have we heard any concrete ideas or proposals from our 222 lawmakers on how we should take Malaysia forward in the current situation? The silence is deafening.

Even the numerous webinars involving our businessmen have been mostly disappointing and self-serving affairs because they invariably degenerate into whining sessions with few valuable ideas. What’s worse is, most of the time, they end up just being sessions to promote products.

I’m glad the Sabah elections have come to an end, so that’s one to consign to the past.

But it’s incredulous that the same politicians who expressed their disgust at party hopping are also the ones who toppled the Barisan Nasional government in 2018, and then formed the Warisan-led state government via the defection of six Barisan assemblymen.

And there were even voters who cheered and supported these politicians who planned the frog jumping exercise.

Then, we have these Sabahan politicians from all sides, who spoke passionately about their state’s rights and how the Federal Government has not fulfilled its responsibilities.

But the trouble is, all of them were part of the ruling Federal Government for decades, all holding Cabinet positions. So what were they doing all along?

They had access to the Prime Ministers and attended Cabinet meetings, but now, Sabahans have all been short-changed.

So these self-serving politicians need to understand why we are fed up with their antics. Meluat lah.

Come elections, which have become more frequent of late, they will promise to serve us 25 hours a day and 400 days a year.

They will guarantee to always be accessible and never live in Kuala Lumpur. Sure, we believe them.

However, you won’t be able to reach them once they get elected. If you get hold of their assistants, consider yourself lucky. These MPs will likely have more phone numbers once they become Yang Berhormat.

One special number is for family, one for party and government bosses, one for party members, and the one that is always unused is exclusively for us.

If a newsman like me, who has the numbers of most Cabinet members, can still find it difficult to get them to return calls, then all the best to everybody else.

But some ministers have professed to receiving an average of between 800 and 1,000 texts a day, and that excludes the numerous chat groups they’re in, alluding to life being tedious because of this.

Some have even removed the blue ticks indicating a read message on their WhatsApp, or they could likely have just blocked us without us even knowing. Welcome to the technological age.

And some don’t even have the decency or courtesy to respond with “noted”, which is as non-committal as it gets. Perhaps it’s just poor social media etiquette.

Malaysians feel a sense of hopelessness over the current political impasse. We have a Prime Minister, whom most of us think is doing a good job of handling the Covid-19 situation and managing the economy the best he can.

However, his position is precarious because he has a wafer-thin majority.

That explains why he can’t haul up lawmakers who respond nonsensically in Parliament, take off on holidays and return unchecked, or even have fake qualifications.

He probably can’t distinguish between who supports him and who can’t wait to stick a knife in his back in this cloak and dagger scenario.

Umno is divided and it’s impossible to tell who’s speaking on the party’s behalf anymore. After all, two of its bosses are fighting multiple court battles.

Then we have Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who claims he has the numbers but has yet to cite his support. This isn’t the first time he has pulled this stunt.

The best way to fend off this cynicism and protect his reputation is to name the lawmakers, or better, line up all the MPs behind him.

The King can’t be expected to grant an audience to politicians claiming to have support to be PM every other month, and then go through the process of verifying all the SDs by speaking to each of the MPs.

His Majesty didn’t meet with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who had also said he had the numbers. I don’t think Anwar is going to get the meeting with the King either.

But what could really impact the PM is that if some Umno MPs renege their support, because then his majority would be further affected, and that seems to be the pressure being applied by Umno to call for a snap general election.

Anwar may not have the necessary numbers, but it can decrease the weight on the PM’s bench.

Anwar’s supporters, however, are insistent that this time, it’s not a stunt and that he truly has adequate support. After all, never say never, because politics is the art of making the impossible possible.

The only hurdle is that if indeed he is walking the talk, it’s still unlikely that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will hand the reigns over to him on a silver platter.

So, in all probability, the only resolution is to have a general election after the Budget in November and the tabling of the Malaysia Plan.

Time is running out because the Sarawak state elections must be held before June 2021, and talk is that it will be held by November or December, though it will most likely be in January.

Let’s have the general and Sarawak state elections in one go instead of having them separately. Get it all done by the first half of 2021.

A snap election will cost taxpayers a whopping RM1.2bil because of Covid-19 standard operating procedures, unlike the 2018 elections which cost less than half of that at RM500mil.

And naturally, we will also need to think of the spike in the number of Covid-19 infections, as is happening in Sabah now.

Politicians can talk about the figures they claim they have, but none of this is going to benefit us. Well, those of us, the “marhaen”, who place bets with gaming outlets, can at least win some prize money gambling with numbers.