By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, Apr 10: As the Covid-19 pandemic has yet to show signs of declining, it is only right for the Movement Control Order (MCO) to continue until April 28, opined Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing.
“Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has no choice if Malaysia wants to overcome the threat of Covid-19. He needs to extend MCO till April 28 in order to break the chain of transmission,” Masing said in a statement issued today.
He added that Malaysia must learn to live the ‘new normal’ in doing business, social lifestyles and religious ethics.
“Big gathering in churches, mosques and other religious places may need to be reduced until Covid-19 can be contained. Covid-19 is politically blind, nor does it recognise position, ethnicity and religious beliefs and will kill anybody on its path.
“Let us all pray to our respective gods and seek their divine intervention to protect us from this invisible enemy Coronavirus,” he added.
Masing said, the fight against Covid-19 must require everyone’s cooperation in other to succeed.
“This fight requires the effort by all of us. The government needs to be strong in its approach in containing Covid-19. The lawmakers, regardless of political affiliation, must not politicize coronavirus and the deadly danger it poses,” he said.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) Sarawak secretary Andrew Lo said it understood the decision by the government to extend the MCO.
“No doubt, the economy and employment will continue to suffer. We need to manage it. We believe that if the MCO is not extended, public confidence will be still low and economic activity will be slow. With the extension, we will contain the pandemic and once the MCO is over, recovery will be quick,” he said.
At the same time, Lo also urged the government to ensure that assistance would be expediently delivered to the vulnerable groups.
“We must have confidence in ourselves as Malaysians to emerge from this crisis stronger, we must use this opportunity to reset the unproductive sectors of the economy,” he added. —DayakDaily
