COMMENT | This is an open letter to the new health minister, Khairy Jamaluddin.

I am writing this for Merdeka Day and Malaysia Day. These two pivotal events in the history of our nation speak of change – a breath of fresh air, our people coming together for the collective good of the nation and leaving the past behind.

I say this to speak about the need for change in our response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a recent “Covid Resilience Ranking”, Bloomberg rated Malaysia as the worst place to be, out of 53 nations, to reopen the economy in the face of the Delta variant.

You have rightly said that taking the job of the health minister is a “very heavy responsibility”. In this pandemic, it is one of the most important roles that an elected representative of the people can hold and execute. As such, I wish you foresight, courage and endurance for the task ahead.

Allow me to share with you some perspectives on this pandemic that may be useful to your thinking...