Dear Diary,
There is a lot of hatred on social media towards the Rohingya who are stranded on boats and being turned away by one country after another.
The Rohingya in Myanmar have been suffering for years yet there is no resolution in sight.
The problem is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is a joke. All leaders want to be pally-pally and not hurt each other’s feelings. The preening politicians act as if they care when attending the biannual Asean Summit but don’t take any action.
It is the same for the annual haze problem caused by Indonesia. Lots of talk but no stern action.
And from these inactions, we get bigots sharing their views. Can’t we be kinder towards our fellow human beings?
Okay, okay, rant over.
Here’s how Day 38 of the Movement Control Order (MCO) unfolded.
8.35am: BAD NEWS – Covid-19 drug Remdesivir fails in human trial.
8.42am: WORSE NEWS – The US records 3,176 deaths in 24 hours with fatalities near 50,000, on a day President Donald Trump suggests injection of disinfectant to beat coronavirus and clean the lungs!
9.03am: WELL-PLAYED
Street violinist Anna Roznowska and pedicab operator Sarah Grant are cheering up New Orleans residents with their ‘Mobile Musicbox’ pic.twitter.com/gEF9QW4YtI
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 23, 2020
10am: SAFE PETS – There are no evidence pets are spreading the coronavirus to people. However, there have been a few cases worldwide where animals likely got the virus from humans.
11.18am: ORNITHOLOGY – On Day 15, Twentytwo13 reader Muralidharan Nair shared how a sunbird made a nest in his neighbour’s sock. Here’s an update.
11.37am: FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD – Head here for the complete guide to online Ramadan bazaars in the Klang Valley.
12.46pm: FEARFUL – Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani, who heads the Myanmar Ethnic Rohingyas Human Rights Organisation Malaysia, lives in fear after fake news on citizenship sparks death threats.
1.05pm: POLICE ABUSE? – Teen on crutches claims cops put him in patrol car boot for flouting MCO.
2pm: LIES – Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob refutes allegations the care package of RM100 is only worth RM35 or that they have been sitting in storage for more than two weeks.
He says Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun informed him NGOs have also donated care packages (of different values) and those packages are stored with the ones from the government so it appears as if they have not gone out.
Rina also says the RM35 care packages sent to the needy are not from the government.
Does this mean those who received them will be getting the correct one, worth RM100?
Ismail Sabri also said the government will bear the travel cost of students from higher learning institutions who will travel home. The trips will be done in stages to avoid overcrowding.
3.45pm: BELOW 1,000 – After nearly a week of registering 1,000 Covid-19 cases per day, Singapore announces ‘only’ 897 new cases.
4.49pm: SELANGOR MANSION STILL RED – There are 88 new cases – 39 in Selangor Mansion – bringing the total to 5,691. A total of 121 patients were discharged, meaning 3,663 have been cured. There was one death, taking fatalities to 96.
5pm: TRY A LITTLE KINDNESS – Glen Campbell with a timely reminder. Selamat berbuka puasa to those fasting.
