Dear Diary,
Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is the defence minister, dropped a bombshell when he said the RM50 e-wallet credit to all Malaysians will only be given on condition that the people install the MySejahtera mobile app.
The app is used for contact tracing and is aimed at managing the Covid-19 pandemic in the country but as Twentytwo13 reader Oliver Tan asked: “Why must I download another app to get money the government promised me?”
Good question.
According to the MySejahtera website, the application was developed to:
i. assist the government in managing and mitigating Covid-19.
ii. help users monitor their health throughout the pandemic.
iii. assist users in getting treatment if they are infected with Covid-19.
iv. locate nearest hospitals and clinics for Covid-19 screening and treatment.
I wonder which company helped develop the mobile application and how much was spent on it?
According to the same website, the application was developed “through a strategic cooperation between the National Security Council, the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry.”
On another note, Ismail Sabri had some good news when he announced the lifting of restrictions on sporting and recreational activities from June 15 as part of the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO).
This means I can play badminton again next week although the question is, do I want to?
Without sounding paranoid, I would rather wait a couple of weeks or even a month more before resuming my attempt to emulate Datuk Lee Chong Wei!
Operators of indoor sports arenas, gyms and snooker centres must register with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to get the standard operating procedures (SOPs). It will also be easier to monitor them when they are allowed to open from June 15.
I’m sure all of them will be eager to resume operations and I do feel for them as they have had no income since March 18, but I’m a little apprehensive about exercising indoors with a bunch of strangers – even with physical distancing.
So while I applaud the move to allow indoors sporting activities to resume, I’ll probably wait just a bit longer before joining my gang.
Today is Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Shah’s official birthday. It also marks the 100th day in office for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The best gift for them is that there are only seven new Covid-19 cases today, the lowest since the Movement Control Order (MCO) began on March 18.
In the United States, nine of 12 Minneapolis City Council members have vowed they will work to end policing as the city currently knows it following the death of George Floyd while in police custody on May 25.
For live updates, click here.
Here’s how Day 83 of MCO unfolded.
7.37am: BRAZILIAN MADNESS – The first thing which captures my attention is the news Brazil stops releasing Covid-19 death toll and wipes data from the official site. At the last count, it had nearly 700,000 cases with just over 37,000 deaths. I was in Rio de Janeiro nearly four years ago for the Olympics and met some lovely people. I tried contacting one of them but there was no reply. I hope Marco and his family are safe.
8.27am: MOTORING INCENTIVE – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering giving drivers up to £6,000 (RM32,442) to swap their diesel and petrol cars for electric vehicles, under plans to re-launch the economy.
9.14am: SAMSUNG HEIR IN COURT – Samsung Group heir Jay Y. Lee appears in court for a hearing to determine whether he should be jailed over allegations of accounting fraud.
10.27am: PRINCE ANDREW WANTED FOR QUESTIONING – Federal prosecutors in New York have formally requested testimony, through the United Kingdom, from Prince Andrew, as part of the criminal investigation into the alleged co-conspirators of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The royal has provided “zero cooperation”, says an attorney.
12.01pm: TWENTYTWO13 MEET-UP – The crew have an informal lunch meeting, the first time all of us are together since the Movement Control Order started on March 18.
1.59pm: UNCOVERING THE TRUTH – Trial of former athletics chief Lamine Diack for doping cover-up begins in Paris.
2pm: THAT’S SPORTING – Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announces badminton, weightlifting, two-wheeled and four-wheeled motorsports, extreme sports – including gliding, surfing and skydiving – as well as recreational sports – including aerobics and yoga – can resume. Gym operators, who had earlier cried foul over loss of business, can also resume business on June 15.
Athletes of team sports like football, rugby and martial arts can train on their own while observing physical distancing but no contact or competition is allowed, even behind closed doors.
Swimming in public and private pools is still prohibited.
There was good news for Malaysians working in Singapore as the government is in talks with the island nation to allow them to travel back and forth provided they download the MySejahtera app.
2.28pm: KIWI SUCCESS – Almost all restrictions in New Zealand will be lifted tomorrow, says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as the country has no active cases.
3.45pm: SELFISH – While at the laundrette, I notice clothes in the washer and dryer which have been left unattended for more than an hour.
4.55pm: OCM HAPPY – The Olympic Council of Malaysia welcomes the return of sports activities.
5.08pm: LOWEST EVER – Only seven new cases today brings the tally to 8,329 while fatalities remain at 117. Twenty patients are discharged, meaning 6,694 people have been cured.
6.57pm: JAPAN HIT – Japan’s economy braces for a slump as the first-quarter GDP contracted less than initially thought.
7.15pm: GREAT JOB
Sesi Pendaftaran & Swab Test Untuk Atlet Sukan Terjun, Memanah, Olahraga, Karate Kem Latihan Road To Tokyo (RTT) Di Casa 1 Majlis Sukan Negara 🇲🇾 @Pandelela_R @BieBitah #KontinjenMALAYSIA#RoadToTokyo pic.twitter.com/suH85nLbKX
— MSN MALAYSIA (@MSNMALAYSIA) June 8, 2020
8pm: CELEBRATION – Kool & The Gang knows how I feel about RMCO.
https://youtu.be/3GwjfUFyY6M
