YOURSAY | ‘Messages to the rakyat should not leave them guessing, misinterpreting or presuming.’

Only head of family allowed out for daily essentials, says senior minister

Chicken Rice: Incompetent ministers during peacetime is going to waste money at worst. In time of crisis of this proportion, incompetence is literally life and death and putting frontline health workers in great danger, and possibly resulting in many civilian casualties.

The are many ready-made playbooks from other countries on containing the virus. Playbook from Singapore/Taiwan/Hong Kong, if you adopt the "contain and contact trace model". Playbook from China, if you opt for the lockdown model.

Malaysia has missed the opportunity to adopt the "contain and contact trace model" due to the backdoor government playing political games in the middle of this crisis.

What did China's playbook say about letting people go out and buy essential food supply? It said, "One person from each household every three days." This is a clear, simple and easily understood message however draconian it may sound.

So what did the Malaysian senior minister say - "Only head of family allowed out for daily essentials." This statement is confusing because who is the head of the household? And then, there is nothing about the frequency of such trips.

I get the intent of the minister, but the on-going confusing messages could easily lead to public panic. How hard is it to copy from China's playbook and modify it to suit Malaysia’s?

If there is ever a time for a unity government, now is the time. Only the best and proven public health professionals should be managing this crisis because it is a life and death situation for Malaysia.

If the previous health minister and his deputy are the best qualified public health professions, then they should be summoned by the king to serve the nation. The current batch of ministers has been proven beyond doubt that they are incapable of doing the job.

Speaking Sense: Where in the original movement control order (MCO) announcement did it say that only the head of family can go out? Why is it that every minister does not seem to know what is happening?

Even the health minister gives wrong information on medical issues.

Anonymous_1432967013: Normally, the head of the family is the breadwinner, according to the ordinary layperson’s understanding.

But if the breadwinners (father or mother) are over 60 years (and thus, high-risk individuals), then how? The government should instead allow one adult per family to go out and buy daily essentials.

MS: Head of family? Or do you actually mean one member per family?

And how come police officers were advising the public and the public knew about it when a video went viral, and only now you are announcing it, and yet you said the policy had been in place.

This is getting absolutely ridiculous; you can't even coordinate your messaging.

Straighttalk: Can't an adult go out to buy the essentials for the entire family? He/she may not be the head but capable enough to perform the chore.

The head of family may be disabled or unable to carry loads of essentials.

Kunta Kinte: I am flabbergasted, head of the family can be 60 years old who are more at risk. The young who has stronger resistant to the virus should be doing the errands.

As long as they go out alone, why bother with head or tail of the family?

GooseNBanter: By all means, issue whatever directives deemed necessary to help the rakyat deal with this most trying time.

However, please keep it clear, concise, complete, and correct. Your messages to the rakyat should not leave them guessing, misinterpreting or presuming. Communication in itself is ambiguous, after all.

Just extrapolate the number of confused commenters here and it will give an idea of what is happening out there amongst the masses.

S Kumar: Help the government to contain the virus. Let’s not ask silly questions.

The government wants one person of the household to go out to buy and not in groups. It is only good for us that we do not get in contact with the virus.

No doubt, it is a half-past-six government, but let’s protect ourselves and others.

The Analyzer: What Malaysia desperately needs at this moment is for the government to propose a plan to support the people most affected by this lockdown.

The plan must be widely debated by the public and a decision made before the end of this coming week.

Because let’s face it, politicians are not the brightest people and this collection are not the people’s representatives so they have no mandate to impose their ideas on the community.

The fact that the government has publicised this ‘only head of family allowed out for daily essentials’ and many other profoundly stupid ideas indicate that they do not have the talent to deal with this crisis.

But Malaysia does have. So, use Malaysian expertise to deal with a Malaysian problem in a Malaysian manner.

Let the medical profession decide the duration and the extent of the MCO, not politicians and not the police.

2x5=10: Why are so many ministers issuing directives on the MCO, hence making the public more confused? Why can't the government appoint only one person as a spokesperson for this issue?

Get organise and give confidence to the public, please.

NoToBatEaters: If the virus does not kill us, these incompetent fellows may do the trick with their ever-changing demands and rulings.

We may also die of laughter from their antics, like the promotion of drinking warm water to flush the virus into the stomach.

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