We are grateful to the frontliners

COMMENT | We are a nation in lock-down as the coronavirus rages through our country. The lock-down is to slow the speed of transmission of the virus. The lock-down is to protect us and to try stem the tide of the virus so that our hospitals are not overwhelmed.

There are people in the frontline fighting to keep us safe, to keep us alive and to keep us fed. We should think about them. And we should be grateful to them.

We thank the doctors and staff of all our hospitals. We know that you are faced with shortages of protective suits, drugs and other medical supplies. We know that you are working all hours to points of exhaustion. 

We know that you are looking after us - saving lives - all at great risk to yourselves. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

We thank members of the police force and of the army who now patrol our streets to maintain law and order and to ensure observance of the lock-down rules. We know that by doing so you place yourselves at risk. We thank you.

We thank those from essential services - those who work in pharmacies, supermarkets, markets wet and otherwise, shops and food outlets. You are taking risks to keep the rest of us supplied with food, medicine and other stuff we need to look after ourselves. We are grateful to you.

We thank the truck drivers who are an essential part of the delivery and distribution chain without whom our shops and markets will be empty. They also take risks so that we are all right.

We thank the Grab riders who are often the sole persons on our roads rushing here and there delivering packed meals to households. They are also at risk. They work to exhaustion so that we may eat. We thank them. I am sure many households will tip them generously when they receive their food.

We thank all those who work at the plantations, at market gardens, at abattoirs, at factories producing food and other essential supplies. They also take risks to make sure that we are kept supplied with goods we need. We thank them.

We thank the civil servants - at the Ministry of Health and other departments of the government who continue to work so that the administration of this country continues at the level that is required.

We thank the volunteers and workers who look after charities - old folks homes, orphanages and other places for the poor, the infirm and the handicapped. You are in our thoughts and prayers. We thank you.

We thank the volunteers who now prepare, pack and deliver food to the poorest of homes. You do great work at great risk to yourselves and we thank you for it.

And we thank all the Malaysians and others in our midst or elsewhere who are helping in some way or the other to combat this deadly virus and who work hard to alleviate the suffering of people.

We thank all politicians who now place their politics aside and focus their energies and resources single-mindedly to deal with the virus and the impact of the same. We thank businesspersons who produce things we need and who place compassion and charity before profit.

And we thank people of all religions for their prayers in calling for divine assistance in this our hour of crisis.

This deadly epidemic gives us all a chance to think about others who are less fortunate than ourselves. It gives all the people of Malaysia the opportunity to think about the kind of nation we want for ourselves.

DAVID DASS is a lawyer, a Malaysiakini subscriber and commentator.

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