By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, April 23: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng is of the opinion that it is not the time to stop wearing face masks.
He noted that as the country has entered the endemic stage, there is no law saying that one must or must not wear a face mask to protect themselves (from diseases).
“But as far as we are concerned, there’s no harm in wearing masks. We have already gotten used to wearing masks.
“Who can predict that the one (sitting) next to you is not affected? So to be fair to each other, it’s still not the time yet (to take off masks),” he told reporters after launching the Electrical and Electronic Waste (E-Waste) Collection Campaign 2022 held at MBKS Community Hall at Jalan Padungan today.
Wee was commenting on Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s recent remark that the government will announce further relaxation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) next week.
This included the debate on whether Malaysia will continue with its mask-wearing mandate after Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin hinted it would no longer be compulsory after Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Stressing that he was speaking on his own ground and not on behalf of his council, Wee questioned whether making face masks optional would be the right decision.
“Let’s say (the decision was that) when you are indoors, you have to wear face masks, and when you are outdoors, you don’t have to wear them.
“If you are going out of your office and into the car, you take off your mask. But after that, you have to go to crowded places, so you put it back up. Then it’s troublesome.
“So why don’t you just put it up (all the way)? It won’t kill or harm you. It might cost you 50 sen or RM1 per day but think of how the face mask will protect you and others around you,” he added.
Wee further said that rather than arguing about making face masks optional or not, there are other things worth discussing, such as assisting those who have lost their jobs during the pandemic and how to help businesses recover. — DayakDaily
