LETTER | Malaysians, be proud of 2020

LETTER | The year 2020 is drawing to a close. I am sure many Malaysians would want to put this annus horribilis behind them. The Covid-19 health crisis and the attendant economic tailspin are two major flashpoints that colour 2020.

And with the benefit of hindsight, I being a 77-year-old man, must say that we have done fairly well weathering the unprecedented crises.

Why do I say so? Let's take Covid-19. In far developed countries like the United State and the United Kingdom, the pandemic has raged with deadly ferocity. 

In the US, for example, some 16 million cases have been reported as the death toll is set to cross the 300,000-mark.

Malaysia, being a country with inferior healthcare standards, has done relatively well to stem the spread of Covid-19. 

Just before the Sabah elections, our daily new cases were below 100. Even now, although cases are hovering between 1,000 to 2,000 new cases daily, many of them are linked to foreign workers.

In other words, the sporadic community infection has been somewhat curbed. Clusters from prisons and living quarters of foreign workers continue to contribute to the bulk of the new cases.

It is easy to get carried away by the four-digit numbers of daily new Covid-19 cases that jump out of our screens, without dissecting the sources. A closer inspection shows that our health officials have done considerably well in containing the outbreak.

Credit must be given to the government, especially Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin for providing a steadying hand during such trying times. 

The PM's commitment over the weekend to buy more Covid-19 vaccines has also brought much relief to the people. The vaccine is indeed a key component for us to return back to pre-Covid-19 times.

As for the economy, the slew of economic intervention policies has provided a lifeline to many businesses choked by the sudden and expected onset of the pandemic. 

The moratorium on loan repayment, in particular, helped save many businesses, jobs, and if I may postulate, lives that otherwise could have been lost due to the sense of hopelessness and despair brought about by the pandemic.

Recently, the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) launched the i-Sinar programme which allows some eight million contributors to make withdrawals to tide them over during such trying times. 

Not only will the money come in handy, but the increased liquidity can also help kickstart the economy badly in need of a stimulus.

All in all, I must say that the Muhyiddin administration has done fairly well, steering the country amid such turbulent times. 

It helps that most of his cabinet members are no greenhorn and they are aided by an able and committed civil service. They are not perfect, but all things considered, they have done relatively well.

The year 2020 will go down in history as the year we wish we could forget. 

But for me, I wish to remember it as the year we overcame the odds and that we can collectively thrive if we pool our resources together. 

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.