KUCHING, Jan 26: Stay put in your house and reduce unnecessary movements to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission, urged Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing.
He asserted that during this challenging time, self-discipline is crucial to contain the pandemic.
“There is a saying, ‘Virus don’t move. People move. If people don’t move. The virus will die’. This is a simple truth that is easy to understand.
“So, in order to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission, we must stop or reduce the movement of people. If the spiking of Covid-19 doesn’t stop, then a total lockdown is the only choice for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to save this nation.
“I hate the inconveniences this lockdown would bring to our lives. (So), let’s therefore, bring self-discipline to our lives, before the government disciplines us by reducing our rights to move,” said Masing in a statement issued here today.
He was reacting to news reports that the EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Eurocham Malaysia) have informed its members that Putrajaya is set to announce a total economic shutdown after February 4, should the number of Covid-19 cases in the country continue to rise.
According to reports, Eurocham Malaysia’s chief executive Sven Schneider’s meeting with the International Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI) mentioned that the Ministry of Health (MOH) “has made a clear stand on the matter of a complete shutdown of the economy”.
It mentioned that should the infection rate not decrease, the Malaysian government will announce a shutdown or strict lockdown immediately after February 4, 2021.
“This is the current situation we are facing and MITI is appealing to all companies, foreign and local, to join the effort of reducing infections, breaking the chain, to keep the economy open for business,” Eurochem was quoted saying as cited by a news portal.
It was also reported that a letter stating Schneider was invited to attend the meeting at MITI, on January 22 which was chaired by the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali.
According to reports, the MOH believed the manufacturing sector, with 99 Covid-19 clusters has been identified as one of the main sources of infection in the country. — DayakDaily
