The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on many – both mentally and physically – but the Healthy Malaysia National Agenda (ANMS) is seen as the perfect “reset” to get people active and lead healthy lifestyles.
So said Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president, Tan Sri Norza Zakaria, who welcomed and lauded the ANMS, which was launched by the government today.
“The promotion of a healthy lifestyle is not limited to just the Youth and Sports Ministry. It has to come from top to bottom, and vice versa. Everyone should embrace it,” said Norza, who is also the Badminton Association of Malaysia president.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has left many depressed. It has taken a toll on everyone, and this agenda is a timely reset to get people moving.
“We have to bounce back as soon as possible. Once we have a healthy society, whatever we do will bring positivity.”
The ANMS, a ‘roadmap’ from 2021 to 2030, aims to help Malaysians face and cope with the endemic phase of Covid-19. Core pillars included cultivating a sporting culture and increasing health literacy among the people, ensuring facilities were easily accessible and promoting a clean environment.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, on TV1’s Selamat Pagi Malaysia this morning, said health awareness among Malaysians remained low, adding that Malaysia was among the nations that had high numbers of people suffering from obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
“Among the leading causes of Covid-19 deaths in the country were comorbidities or chronic diseases in patients,” Khairy said.
He added one in every two people in Malaysia were overweight; one in four did not practise physical activity, while only one in 20 maintained healthy eating habits.
“According to statistics, half a million adults in Malaysia suffer from depression… I’m sure that number is lower than the actual figure,” he added.
Norza, meanwhile, said the ANMS, if done right, and if well embraced, could turn Malaysia into a sporting nation.
“But to achieve that, we need to revitalise the sports industry,” he added.
“Pre-Covid-19 days, people were very passionate. They used to run, head to the gymnasium. But some of them have now slipped into oblivion. Their old habits have to be reactivated.”
“We can create a sporting nation, but if the machinery is not there, the gymnasiums, the football, or futsal arenas aren’t operating like normal, this will hinder our aspiration of turning Malaysia into a healthy, sporting nation.”
Here are Twentytwo13’s news highlights.
DR M: PEJUANG NOT INVOLVED IN MELAKA POLLS
Parti Pejuang Tanah Air refuted allegations that the party had fielded proxy candidates in the upcoming Melaka election.
Its chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said: “I found out that certain quarters are trying to link me and Pejuang with certain individuals contesting as independent candidates.”
“I want to stress that Pejuang and I do not support anyone in the Melaka polls, let alone to field proxy candidates.”
OVER 65,000 BUMIPUTERAS IN DELIVERY SERVICES, PARTLY DUE TO COVID-19
A total of 65,660 Bumiputeras have ventured into food and parcel delivery services, mostly due to the Covid-19 pandemic that hit the country last year.
A survey by Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit found that Bumiputera riders, most of them young, made up 93.8 per cent of the total food delivery riders in the country.
The survey also found that 51.7 per cent of its 503 respondents, ventured into the food/parcel delivery business during the first Movement Control Order (MCO) in March 2020.
Over 70 per cent of the respondents had been involved in accidents, but less than half of them were covered by personal insurance.
A majority of the respondents also admitted they did not receive any help from the companies they served, when they got injured.
JOHOR WANTS LAND AND AIR TRAVEL TO SINGAPORE TO OPEN ON NOV 29
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the state wanted the cross-border Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) via the Johor Causeway and Second Link to be opened simultaneously with the VTL for quarantine-free air travel between Changi Airport and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Nov 29.
He said the Federal government had been informed of the matter, as over 300,000 Johor residents commute to Singapore daily for work.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and his Singapore counterpart, Lee Hsien Loong, had on Monday, announced the implementation of the VTL, starting Nov 29.
MUHYIDDIN: MALAYSIA’S BORDERS COULD OPEN BY JAN 1
National Recovery Council chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Malaysia’s borders would be opened to foreigners, latest, by Jan 1.
The nation had locked its borders since March 2020, with only business travellers and returning Malaysians, allowed to enter the country.
Muhyiddin said the slow recovery of the tourism sector due to the lack of visitors from abroad was discussed during the council’s meeting.
Malaysia registered 6,323 new Covid-19 cases today, a slight increase compared to 6,243 cases recorded yesterday.
The cumulative cases in Malaysia now stood at 2,528,821.