PM’s bold decision now seeing results, says Health DG

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s unpopular but bold decision to take the bull by the horns in handling the Covid-19 pandemic has saved the day for Malaysia.

Assuming the post of Prime Minister at a most difficult time, he did not hesitate to impose the movement control order (MCO) to keep people indoors to reduce transmission of the deadly virus.

It was clear from the start that Muhyiddin had his work cut out the moment he was sworn in as Malaysia’s eighth Prime Minister on March 1, as Covid-19 cases in the country then were already showing signs of an upward swing.

With the country’s fate in his hands, quick solutions were needed in the midst of a delicate and challenging period that put the seasoned politician’s wisdom to the test as he was forced to take unprecedented measures, guided by the advice of the Health Ministry (MOH) as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Muhyiddin’s introduction of the MCO on March 18 to contain the pandemic was touted by many as an unpopular but courageous move.

In the end, he announced the enforcement of the MCO in four phases until May 3, followed by the conditional MCO from May 4 to June 9 and the recovery MCO from June 10 to Aug 31.

The recovery MCO is part of the government’s exit strategy as the country is now entering the recovery phase following a declining trend of infections, while the country’s public health capacity in fighting Covid-19 has reached a better and more convincing level.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah described the MCO as a move enforced at a time when the nation was somewhat ill-equipped, with no vaccine in sight or effective drugs to treat patients.

“MOH discussed the Covid-19 situation with Tan Sri (Muhyiddin), and I was very impressed as he bravely decided to go ahead with the MCO at a time when many nations, barring China, were not ready to commit to restriction measures.

“The MCO also meant that we had to enforce Act 342 (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988), a piece of legislation never used before in Malaysian history.

“We supported the move. It was the best solution and there is no right or wrong (when it comes to such matters) as no other countries had done it – as the saying goes, we were in uncharted territory and this took courage,” he said in an interview with Bernama.

Recalling March 16, when Muhyiddin announced the decision to introduce MCO, Dr Noor Hisham said many were sceptical of the Prime Minister’s decision.

“It was an unpopular move but then again, this was not a question of popularity. This was about the country’s safety and if this was the way to save the nation, we would go ahead with it.

“Fast forward, we have now seen how the MCO has managed to flatten the Covid-19 curve, while many neighbouring countries followed suit. This shows that Malaysia is at the forefront in using a method that has never been used in other nations, especially within Asia,” Dr Noor Hisham said.

Muhyiddin’s steadfast belief in the public service’s capability to combat Covid-19 is also highly admirable.

Dr Noor Hisham said the government’s sole objective then was to save the country from ruin by using a “total government approach” powered by solid cooperation among all ministries and agencies.

“It was not only about Tan Sri’s brave decisions. More importantly, it was about his belief and trust in public servants to implement the MCO,” he said, recalling his first meeting with Muhyiddin on the Prime Minister’s second day of official duty.

For the first time in Malaysian history, the MCO was implemented in the form of a comprehensive ban on public movements and gatherings throughout the country including religious, sports, social and cultural activities.

All Malaysians were also banned from travelling overseas, while those returning from overseas were required to undergo health screening and quarantine for 14 days.

The MCO also saw an entry ban for all visitors to Malaysia and the implementation of tighter border controls.

Malaysia’s collaboration to accelerate work on the development of a Covid-19 vaccine was spearheaded by the Prime Minister himself after he joined several world leaders on April 24 at the launch of the Access to Covid-19 Tools accelerator hosted by WHO via teleconferencing, where he offered Malaysia’s full support for the international effort.

“Malaysia is fully committed to being part of this time-bound effort and to take on the manufacturing of some of these tools and vaccines as they become available.

“I urge leaders across the globe, donors, the private sector and the scientific community to support this important effort to win this war against Covid-19,” Muhyiddin said in his remarks at the event.

Recognising the huge contributions of the frontliners, especially healthcare workers, he also took time off from his schedule to hold a teleconference with frontliners who had been working hard to fight Covid-19 and ensure the success of the MCO.

To weather the effects of Covid19, Muhyiddin announced the RM250bil Prihatin economic stimulus package on March 27 with the objective of protecting the people, supporting businesses and strengthening the economy.

The package included a RM1bil injection for MOH to purchase equipment, hire medical experts and provide special allowances of between RM400 and RM600 for healthcare and medical workers, and another RM200 for uniformed personnel.

Describing the stimulus package as the right decision, Dr Noor Hisham believed the measures would undoubtedly help the nation recover from the pandemic’s damaging effects by finding the right balance between protecting lives and livelihoods.

“This initiative was swift and timely, and the government implemented the conditional MCO to stimulate the economy and help the country recover from the pandemic’s effects.

“This is a win-win situation. These (Prihatin and conditional MCO) were wise decisions.

“We are now in the recovery stage where we are able to contain the outbreak and also reboot our economic sectors,” Dr Noor Hisham said.

The Muhyiddin-led government launched the Covid-19 Fund on March 11 as part of efforts to help people affected by the pandemic.

Last Friday, the Prime Minister announced the short-term National Economic Recovery Plan (Penjana), which features 40 initiatives worth RM35bil to empower the people, propel businesses and stimulate the economy. — Bernama

We are now in the recovery stage where we are able to contain the outbreak and also reboot our economic sectors.

Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah