EXTRA ordinary situation calls for extra ordinary leadership. Continuing spikes in Covid19 cases in the country is such a situation.
What is best approach to arrest this spike in the spread and infection due to Covid19?
Is enhanced movement control order enough or such situation calls for a total lockdown.
Malaysia has done through all these measures when the country went for MCO in March 2020. It was not a bad call.
The pandemic was to a large extent under control, although we see cases shooting up, some coming down. But generally, the situation then did not call for alarm.
Covid19 cases continue to fluctuate as governments institute various versions of movement control order since the early 2020.
This led to the government asking HM the King to declared a state of emergency as cases peaked then at 2000 cases daily in January 2020. The state of emergency was declared on 11 January 2021 till 1 August 2021.
Now the cases has climbed further to 8,290 as of 28 May 2021. Is a further period of the state of emergency needed?
Well, the answer is rather obvious. It would not be easy for the present leadership to take the decision to ask HM the King to extend the state of emergency.
There will be groups who are opposed with various arguments to extend the state of emergency: political and economic basically.
But a wise leadership must take the difficult and unpopular decision in the interest of the people. That is what leadership is all about.
Making difficult and unpopular decision in the best interest of the people. Whether the decision is “right” “or wrong”, history will be the judge of that decision.
But the health and welfare of the people during this pandemic must weight in heavily to the decision to prolong the state of emergency. In the running of the affairs of governing during this emergency, the leadership could do some strengthening in governance: priority is to safeguard the health and welfare of the people; there is a need ensure that the economy do not die out completely during this period; and that the process governance could be further enhanced to show more transparency, accountability, and consultative.
Dr Zach
Political Science, Putrajaya