Please do your part, think of healthcare workers

COMMENT | The photo of the doctor holding the placard, that I was forwarded by a friend, speaks volumes about our individual and collective roles in society to help overcome and ameliorate the effects and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The few precious early days were practically squandered by those playing political musical chairs to vie for positions, and then, celebrating on the greens of the golf course. The virus kept on infecting.

Missteps, or perhaps lack of EQ, and understanding of the pandemic, allowed more than 10,000 people to congregate at a religious group event and now that event alone has triggered an acceleration of infection and raising infection levels in and outside of Malaysia.

Our healthcare sector human resources, undoubtedly, are working to exhaustion levels to address the many challenges being faced and yet to come.

We, the ordinary people, must be responsible enough to do our part. For example:

• To prevent the contagion within our families and circle of connections.
• To abide by the rules and prohibitions set out (Although I must point out, there appears to be less than thorough thinking on the processes, SOPs, details of operationalisation of measures and directives, thus leading to misrepresentation, misinformation and confusion due to the lack of clarity).
• To institute self-discipline as per the guidelines for sanitary measures.
• To avoid the balik kampung rush across borders which may trigger new clusters of infections in our own hometowns among our families, relatives and friends there. Let us pray that does not happen.
• Not to succumb to the temptation to become a selfish stockist of toilet paper etc, depriving others of such household items.
• To teach our young about dos and don'ts. After all, they will be home for an extended school break.

The premises shutdown is to enable us to be BERHATI-HATI (be cautious), not to BERCUTI-CUTI (vacation).

Think of our healthcare personnel and please do not burden them unnecessarily with our apathetic and could-not-care-less attitudes.

The virus does not discriminate.

Finally, my message to the people who have already installed themselves as being "in charge":-

For the sake of the people and country, do not merely be "in charge".

• TAKE CHARGE.
• BE SERIOUS.
• NO SIMPLE LIP SERVICE AND PONTIFICATION.
• NO DIVISIVE POLITICKING IN THIS TIME OF CRISIS.
• NO STUPID "US and THEM" attitudes.
• The nation and people CANNOT AFFORD parochial minds during crisis.

These are times of LEADERSHIP, not merely for leaders. Leaders can ruin nations but LEADERSHIP is for all times and situations. It can save the people and the country during a time of crisis.

P/S: A friend of mine told me that when I write in capital letters it means that I am SHOUTING... And that's "offensive". NORMALLY, my capital letters are for EMPHASIS.

But THIS TIME I AM SHOUTING OUT. I am very sure MANY MALAYSIANS are SHOUTING OUT together with me. If we DON'T SHOUT, some people DON'T HEAR and DON'T LISTEN.

MAY THE ALMIGHTY HAVE COMPASSION ON US ALL.

RAFIDAH AZIZ is a former minister.

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