Malaysia has done extremely well over the past 12 weeks in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, our recovery rate and infection control strategy are rated among the best in the world.
It is this success that led Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to declare the country’s progression to the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) starting tomorrow.
The battle, however, is far from over but the lackadaisical attitude of some businesses and people indicates otherwise.
A glaring example is three business premises – a provision shop, eatery and personal care store – in Bandar Baru Ampang which are barely metres apart.
All three had sanitisers and books for customers to record their basic details for contact tracing. Yet, people were allowed to walk in and out freely without even having their temperatures checked.
It could be apathy or silly defiance but it sure is a folly that might have disastrous results.
This was among the few Twentytwo13 observations in recent days.
Another problem is the devices used to check temperatures. The readings are not consistent in some places. The temperature reading at a location in Taman Muda, Ampang showed 37.9 degrees Celcius only to go down to 36.4 degrees Celcius on the second attempt.
In a bid to recover from losses following the lockdown since March 18, business operators seem too eager to lure customers while adopting what they believe is the standard operating procedure set by the National Security Council.
Some shops even allow patrons to enter without them santising their hands.
Many hypermarkets and supermarkets also do not disinfect trolley handles like what one is doing in Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
A petrol station in Cheras has a sign saying its fuel pump nozzles are disinfected regularly but the pump attendant was seen using a dirty piece of cloth to wipe the equipment.
The ‘tidak-apa‘ attitude is also seen among some patrons who seem to believe the SOPs are a hassle.
There are business operators and people who are extremely particular about adhering to the SOPs. Some hawker centres and eateries in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor still do not accept dine-ins and pull down their shutters by 4pm.
There may not be too many disobedient ones but there are enough of them to raise concerns. And the fear is that more people will gradually get a false sense of safety and become apathetic too.
Muhyiddin had on Sunday warned that the Enhanced MCO would be re-imposed in areas that record spikes in Covid-19 cases.
Businesses cannot afford another lockdown.
BUSINESS OWNERS ARE NOW THE NEW “FRONTLINERS” WHO WILL HAVE TO ENSURE SOPS ARE STRICTLY ENFORCED.
The onus is upon all of us to ensure we keep Covid-19 at bay. We need to be constantly vigilant.
The one-metre physical distancing rule must be observed. The failure to observe this basic rule is evident when buying essentials at most hypermarkets. Such a practice at night markets and farmers’ markets which will operate soon could have severe repercussions.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah had on Saturday said Malaysia can break the Covid-19 chain through strict adherence to the SOPs outlined by the Health Ministry and practising good hygiene.
As such, it is imperative for local councils to monitor business premises to ensure the SOPs are in place. Business owners must also play their part.
Only then will the people be assured that Malaysia is on track to becoming free of Covid-19.
