2020 in A Nutshell for Malaysian.
At the time of the writing, the country is now in the phase of embracing the 3rd wave of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic virus. The waves started when a group people unrealized of them as a host to the strain. Below, the writer highlights briefly the chronology of the pandemic events in Malaysia accordingly.
Brief Flashback.
SAR-COV-2 virus or commonly known as COVID-19 is a pandemic virus that firstly detected in Wuhan, China and now spreading all over the world. The insurgence of the strains gave a massive impacts to all aspects in daily life, affecting billions of populations around the world holistically. It all started when the strains were detected by an ophthalmologist doctor — Dr Li Wenliang — working in Wuhan Hospital, China. The China goverment warned Dr Li for not continuing “spreading rumors” until it’s too late that even Dr Li became the victims of the virus himself.
Prior to the initiatives taken by the goverment that will be discussed below, a Tablighi Jamaat gathering were held between 27 February to 1 Mac at one of the mosque in Selangor that were attended by approximately 16, 000 attendees, where 1, 500 of them are foreigners.
Installation of Movement Control Order (MCO)
As far as the whole world is figuring out the cause of the pandemic, the virus is actually being spread from one human to another through human contact not knowing that is the actual cause of the spreading. The goverment of Malaysia declared the installation of Movement Control Order (MCO) or Restriction of Movement Order (RMO) on Mac 18, 2020 that lasts for 2 weeks for a first stage test. All citizens and whoever currently lives in Malaysia are prohibited to be in public places other than their own house. Not just that, only 1 person can going out from home to buy groceries and home needs. Airport are shut down. Tourist that are currently in Malaysia are ‘trapped’ and are prohibited from returning to their country as the airport are shut down as during this period.
The implementation of MCO were extended to 2nd phase that lasts until April 14 when the Prime Minister announced it on March 25. MCO not just ended for a month as it’s extended depending on current cases number trend.
Cases numbers recorded getting increases from days to days as most of the people didn’t realize that they were already infected and the symptoms can only be seen after 2 weeks period. From Day 1 of the MCO being enforced, Malaysia also recorded a few numbers of death due to the pandemics. As well as the increment of the Positive cases reported daily, the death tolls numbers also increases up till today.
Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) phase.
Reported number of cases getting increased days by days as well as mortality numbers. New clusters of infections being detected in state of Johor thus being the first to be implemented and followed by Selangor. This implementation involved the deployment of soldiers nearby the cluster areas as well as at the roadblocks. The implementation of the EMCO is to increase the rule enforced in from MCO rules as well as only permits people who in need to travels across the states and inter-states.
There are a lot of roadblocks put at any roads, plus with the deployment of soldiers to make sure people obey the Order, it is proven worked in order to control the behavior of people across the nation to keep us stay at home. The application of the EMCO gave a very outstanding results outcome as the cases number reported daily went down, thus flattened the curve. The results of the implementation can be illustrated in the form of graph below;
At some point between the month of November until December, Malaysia goverment extended the implementation of EMCO to some states as to enforce stricter rule over the people on obeying to the Order.
Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) phase.
The goverment introduced RMCO as a Recovery phase for Malaysia since the number of cases dropped due to the implemetation of EMCO. Recovery Movement Control Order or RMCO is a Recovery phase where the case reported are getting lower and lower due to cooperation given by all people to stay at home and only going out for compulsory needs. The compliance from people are very respectful prior to the announcement of the installation of this Order.
During this period, which is started from June 10, 2020 until August 31, 2020 which is approximately 2 months and a half, the number of cases reported are very low which is below 100 cases per day. This period is a period that brings happiness to some faces, as to celebrate it, goverment slightly released the EMCO rules to some industries to be able to restart the economy after being deactivated and moving slow due to the implementations. Some people starts to reopen their shop lots, some starts to reopen their restaurants. Some people starts to re-enjoy the nature and the freedom of being outside, without need to face the roadblocks by the army.
The Third Wave.
Unfortunately, all of this Social Distancing efforts and the installation of RMCO were torn apart as one of the State’s Chief Minister suddenly gave up his position in the goverment. According to the Constitution of Malaysia, State-level election must be conducted in 60 days after the position released or emptied. When it comes to election, be it State-level (PRK) or National-level (PRU), people never takes it lightly as it will determine the direction the state or the country. Even prior to his action, Malaysian especially from Peninsular are very much confused on why the state have not yet to close its boarder and stay opened its door for people to come in and out freely without restrictions.
A lot of people traveling around the state, be it tourist or locals. While in Peninsular people have been restricted since Mac. The act shown is considerably selfish to other as this already cost the nation times, money, and patience. Even though the situation is not as hot as before due to the low number of daily cases reported, it shouldn’t be taken for granted.
This is the period where the Third Wave of the pandemic started, as of this writing, the cases number in the state still spiking and the epilogue of the election is well predicted. The election took place on September 26, 2020 with a lot of people gathers in designated places in a very close proximity range. Standard Operating Procedure has been ruled for the safety during the election day. The state divider, as well as the airport not being closed during this pandemic outbreaks raising the anger among Malaysian as they already knew the outcome from the election event.
A week after the state election, we can see the increasing number of cases reported from being less than 100 to 317. Exactly 2 weeks after the state election, the case number reported increased 57 more making it totally 374 cases. Malaysian became more furious when the cases number reported increased some more up to a whopping 869, and 1 228, for the 3rd and 4th week after the state election respectively.
The Returning of CMCO on Some (and all) States.
It’s well predicted that people that went to the election already returned to their home all over the country, Malaysia reinstated the implementation of CMCO on all states and those went for the election are in need to self-quarantine for 14 days. As far as how much the voters went for the election is concerned, the rate of infection is well expected.
As much as the cases spikes from the election state, the other states also recorded an increment in the case number. Most of them are related and contacted voters from the election event. An example for Selangor, initially cases reported are from a few districts but then, it’s seen spreaded from day to day all over the State. The authority decided to reinstaed the implementation of CMCO all over Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya to as a safety measure to prevent the disease from spreading and worsening the current state starting a 14 days on October 14 until October 27, 2020.
Top Glove cluster and The Returning of EMCO.
Prior to the event of the outbreak at Top Glove factory are reported here and some other publications.
After almost 2 months from the State election, another cluster emerged from Top Glove worker’s hostel. Cummulative cases are already reached 215 cases recorded thus EMCO being enforced to the hostel and surrounding area which restricts anyone from going in or out. Necessities such as food are brought to the hostel with the supervision from the authority.
While workers are restricted from leaving their hostels for a quarantine and swab test to be conducted, it’s reported on Novermber 23, that 1067 out of 1203 cases of Selangor are positive from the Teratai cluster alone. The goverment decided to close 28 out of 41 factory temporary on stages for a quarantine and screening process to be conducted. As more factory has been temporary shutdown (20 out of 8) and screening can be done, more and more positive cases are revealed coming from the workers that are infected without realizing of them being a host to the virus. The major symptoms starts to show up once the strain are matured enough during the 14 days of incubation period. The EMCO that were scheduled to end on November 30, were extended to December 14 for the workers to be quarantined and more screening process to be conducted.
Khadka actions were then being praised for being a whistleblower, that because to his action truly revealed the bitter truth of working in a factory, that packs with lots of operators handling products. He does highlights that social distancing is almost impossible due to the space limitations and the demands that is getting higher day by day from all hospitals around Malaysia.
In a nutshell, truth and transparency are very important in order for informations to be delivered to the right people. Some of us took rules and instructions during this pandemic times lightly. Lesson should be learnt from the past pandemic and epidemic outbreaks as this is not the first time Malaysia being affected by a virus attack. In 1998, Malaysia were shocked with the discovery of Nipah Virus in the state of Perak. Though the strains were hosted inside a pig, those people who interact with it either by touching and those who eats it are infected with the virus and are welcomed by death.
Cooperations from all society level are importans in order to make sure every stages of process went smoothly especially went called for taking the swab test. Anger and frustrations could arise among citizens as no one knows who had been infected. Malaysia will always try the best to prevent any more cases and casuality caused by this virus strains. As we are moving forward to make sure every Standard Operating Procedure being followed, every single persons play their role in order to make sure everyone stay focus to make sure cases reported daily are decreased and people can return to live normally like we used to before the pandemic.
