YOURSAY | ‘Until the Sabah caper, things were looking up, the numbers were comparatively down…’

PM to address nation on pandemic situation at 6pm

Muhyiddin rules out total lockdown for now, worries about economic collapse

MS: Everyone with a brain knows that this "run amok" infection spread could have been prevented if the focus of the politicians had been solely on safeguarding lives and livelihoods. And leading by example, by walking the talk and following their SOPs (own standard operating procedures).

However, as an unelected regime with a paper-thin two-seat majority, it spent much time and energy plotting politics, calculating buyouts and finally forcing an election using a shady character who had been charged with 46 counts of corrupt acts (and suddenly freed) to secure its precarious position.

Until the Sabah caper, things were looking up, the numbers were comparatively down and Malaysians were grateful enough to enthusiastically support the edifying of "Covid heroes" through murals and awards and titles.

Then Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Khairuddin Aman Razali happened.

The thinly-concealed crookedness (under the cloak of "saving Malaysia") burst forth with lies upon lies, denials upon denials and "buat bodoh" upon "make dunno" acts.

That was when the curtain lifted to reveal and spotlight the Yang ‘Berbahayas’ scrambling for cover.

That was when Malaysians realised it is damned politics as usual, with a blatant violation of the so-called SOPs by a member of the cabinet deemed okay because what was more important than the law was the preservation of the two-seat majority.

So Sabah became more important - as important as it was during the heydays of Project IC. When the Sheraton-like move by the same conspirators was unexpectedly thwarted, an election was forced on the people sheltering from the virus.

So it was "damn the SOPs and quarantine rules" as everyone including Health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah was roped in to save the regime. By relaxing the rules ... to enable unfettered politicking.

So we are where we are - with the latest "Kluster Politikus" first infecting those in the power game and collaterally others who happened to cross their paths.

Will there be consequences for those who have thus spread the infection, spiked the numbers and caused a further dampening of economic activity? Or will more murals be commissioned to deify the culprits?

Apanakdikato: Indeed, what is worse than the Covid-19 virus itself is the irresponsible backdoor politicians, with their cronies, who masterminded the downfall of the Sabah government by engineering the dropping of all 46 corruption charges against a shady politician, and later ‘funding’ him to buy over like-minded state representatives.

Now the whole country is at the verge of a major second wave of Covid-19 infections as a result of their avarice and lust for power. Indeed, how many more innocent and precious lives will be at risk?

Bobby0: Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Umno should be celebrating after this win in Sabah, but look at the disastrous condition the elections had brought on this poor state.

Who is to be blamed for this pandemic? Who is to be blamed for the deaths due to the sudden surge in numbers of patients? Who is to be blamed for the medical nightmare of not enough beds and facilities in the smaller districts of Sabah?

They are Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman who pressured the Sabah government to go for an election.

Due to their selfish agenda, the whole nation is now paying the price. How much more will the nation and its people lose in terms of finances, jobs and even opportunities will only be known once the pandemic is brought under control.

They can stop pointing their fingers at others as the people know who is really responsible for this fiasco.

FairMalaysian: Closing the stable after the horse has bolted - that is we are doing in closing the borders in Sabah.

While it may be true that a total lockdown may affect the economy, not locking down may see a surge in the numbers. The country can ill afford that.

Yes, Muhyiddin assures that the experience gained with a learning curve that may stand in good stead is a plus, but that is at best a weak option as the increasing numbers prove otherwise.

Cyclonus: Sorry Muhyiddin, your words don't inspire much confidence, especially since your ministers were reckless in how they acted despite the SOP.

On top of that, your home minister kept saying things were "under control" - so either he was lying or incompetent.

It really sounds like the whole cabinet is dysfunctional with all the issues from water cuts to recalcitrant ministers flouting rules and regulations to mismanagement of the pandemic.

The Watcher: Well done, PM. We appreciate your care and concern. The rakyat in the villages and rural towns love you as their "Abah".

Ignore the few dissonant voices of the urban rich who complain day and night. They're too rich to do anything else while the rest of the country lives in the real world.

BlackKucing5633: Words without action are meaningless. We continue to have people who is supposed to be home quarantined but roaming outside their home. We never learn from our past mistake.

We need more targeted lockdown to quickly stop the spread of this virus and avoid gathering. I passed by some kampung last weekend and see many kenduri functions along the way. Hopefully, there were no virus carriers in such gatherings.

Falcon: We started celebrating, making saviours, heroes, icons and putting up publicity structures prematurely. A day did not pass without some form of heroics and gallantry. Many honorifics of elation as well.

The spin was just unbelievable in the mainstream media, virally as in social media. But suddenly, those who were virtually venerated as immortals had a super fall from their ivory towers. Now the knives are out.

Sadly, my prediction that we will pass the 130 fatality number in April has come to pass. And those who used Covid-19 for their own politics look rather stupid, exposed, lost and quite disgraced.

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