The new frontliners are the people
PM: MCO will be reimposed if health protocols aren’t taken seriously
It takes a village to raise a child. Now, it takes a nation to fight Covid-19. Malaysia’s latest campaign to implore the people to abide by the SOP requires everyone from the penghulu to the tok batin to play their part.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has warned about the implications on the Malaysian economy if a movement control order (MCO) is reintroduced should the people do not abide by the new norms.
“I am sure that all of you do not want the government to carry out the MCO again,” he said.
The government, he said, had allocated RM295bil to rebuild the economy that had been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The rakyat must ensure the new norms are part of their daily routine, he said at the launch of the Embracing New Norms campaign at Kompleks Sukan Pagoh yesterday.
The campaign is meant to increase awareness and empower the public to protect themselves, their families and communities in the war against Covid-19.
It is targeted at all Malaysians, involving grassroots of all communities and sectors.
The campaign is supported by all ministries, departments and agencies throughout the country as well as strategic partners from the corporate sector and NGOs to send a message consistently to the public that they should adapt to the new norms.
Muhyiddin pointed out that if the country reverted to being under MCO, the economy would be greatly affected and Malaysians would have to bear its impact.
Without cooperation from the rakyat, he said it would be impossible for Malaysia to be successful in breaking the transmission chain.
He spoke about the rise in infections of late, pointing out that clusters that emerged were due to some quarters not adhering to standard operating procedure.
Muhyiddin cited an example of those not following the requirement to self-quarantine at home for 14 days when they returned from abroad.
“This act of going against the order does not only put their family’s lives in danger but also exposed their relatives and communities to the spread of Covid-19,” he said.
Due to these recalcitrant people, he said the government reimposed the ruling that required arrivals to Malaysia to be placed at quarantine stations instead of allowing them to self-quarantine at home.
The authorities, he said, were also prepared to carry out enhanced MCO if there was a spike in cases in a particular area.
Muhyiddin said Malaysia had
expressed its willingness to assist in creating a vaccine for Covid-19 through a cross-border task force of ministries that was set up in April.
This effort was to explore opportunities in strategic cooperation with other countries in researching and developing vaccines and medicines for Covid-19, he said.