Pages

Wednesday, April 01, 2020

Reason for dribs & drabs MCO?


Malaysiakini:

No decision yet on FT Ramadan bazaars, Annuar Musa stresses



There have been no decisions made yet on whether there will be Ramadan bazaars in the Federal Territories, stressed minister Annuar Musa.

He said reports citing him as saying that bazaars will proceed were taken out of context.

"There is no decision on the matter. I want to hear a briefing from local authorities in the Federal Territories first," he said in a Facebook live video today.



"It is important for us to safeguard public health, and make sure everything is well managed.

"It is not possible that I simply make such a simplistic statement and announce that Ramadan bazaars will proceed," he said.

Ramadan is expected to start on April 23, just over a week after the movement control order is supposed to end on April 14.


Annuar yesterday was cited by Bernama as saying Ramadan bazaars will not be cancelled but will be adjusted as they were needed by the people, especially those living in the big cities.

“We have to think of the need of urban folks who do not have the time to cook after returning from work,” he was additionally quoted as saying.


By now everyone who reads the news know Menteri Bazaar has belakang-pusing form his earlier  (and very premature) assertion that the Ramadan Bazaar for the Federal Territories will be on, with special arrangements for 'social distancing'.


I had then criticised Annuar's assertion as its implementation will eff-up the good work achieved thus far through MCO. True enough, the next day the Menteri gostarn-ed damn pretty cepat, not that I claimed to be the cause for his reversal of stance, wakakaka, but rather that many experts condemned him with probably government officials and fellow ministers also warning him off.

Naturally he now claims the usual kerbau, that his statement regarding the pre-Hari-Raya event had been taken out of context by the media, wakakaka.


the 'impossible' he'll do at once,
but 'miracles' will take a bit longer

wakakaka  

But reading further into the time-table and the MCOs, and comparing our MCO with those of other nations (and eff the USA which has been buggered kaukau by Trump) he has NOT been the ONLY minister playing the populist game.

Many other nations have slammed on their people a six-month MCO though in general with less stringent rules regarding, say, a run in the nearby park (Exercise, but only if the exercise is done alone or with one other person - that Penang cardio-lawyer-buruk would have been safe Downunder, wakakaka).


Mind, they haven't suffered a worrying issue like ours, namely, the tabligh clusters tested positive for Covid-19 compounded by more than 5000 tabligh participants not being tested yet. We already have 3 areas under EMCO (enhanced-stricter rules), meaning those areas have very worrying clusters of Covid-19 affected residents even unto 4th or 5th generations. And let's face it, additionally our Malaysians are less disciplined and compliant with laws, wakakaka.




In New South Wales Australia (capital Sydney), the fines and/or imprisonment for violating the lockdown orders are enormous (AUD$11,000) and an on-the-spot fine (AUD$1,000 on the spot) for not observing 'social distancing'.

My observation is that the Malaysian MCO has been dealt out in dribs and drabs, just 2 weeks each time, instead of one 6-month period if the government is really serious about curtailing the spread of the virus. And for a political reason.

I reckon Muhyiddin's cabinet looks over its collective shoulder at Ramadan and the approaching Hari Raya, and hopes-fantasises that Mr Covid will be terminated by then.


Being politicians, this is what they would do - not that I blame them 100% as the Australian government under Scott Morrison has shown its indecisive ways in the beginning, being worried about their respective voters base. Trump has his concerns too vis-a-vis the deep south, his stronghold, where the powerful conservative Christian Right generally believes more in the salvation of the Lord than the perilous threat of some 'Chinese' virus. 


1 comment: