THE Covid-19 contagion has closed borders, halted travel across the globe, disrupted supply chains and put millions of people under a lockdown in their countries — some total, some partial. Others, like Malaysians, are under a Movement Control Order (MCO).
The world, it seems, is smaller because of it. As the pandemic expands — up to yesterday, cases have surpassed 900,000 in some 200 countries with more than 45,000 deaths — one thing is definite. The disease has made us more aware of each other, our mortality, how connected we are and the implications of our actions.
As Malaysia moves into the third week of the MCO, we witness many acts that have warmed our hearts and brought us closer. From a simple act of sharing inspiring words on social media, to providing food for the homeless and rescuing stray cats, Malaysians have shown how they can be innovative and enterprising during this trying time.
Just check out this newspaper’s section on MCO Heroes — every day we feature Malaysians who have helped fellow citizens in one way or another. Yesterday, we carried a report about how a 30-year-old head of product at a local cleaning service company had come up with an idea to produce face shields from 3D printers for frontliners. On Wednesday, it was local designers taking up a worthy cause to craft medical supplies. Today, we carried a story of how an ustaz had found a home for a young family of three who had been living under a pedestrian bridge.
These are model citizens we should emulate — despite the MCO and the disruptions to their daily lives, they have spared a thought for others.
With the situation evolving every day, Malaysians need to be more supportive of each other. Forget our religious and racial differences and lend a hand where it is needed. We are citizens of a country that is facing a health crisis that has affected world populations. People the world over have shown how Covid-19 has made them more aware of humanity — scroll the Internet, countless stories are shared on Facebook and WhatsApp.
Indeed, Covid-19 hit us by surprise and consumed us within months. Resources are stretched to the limit, and governments and leaders are under pressure. Nobody predicted the disease would kill so many. Scientists and experts are uncertain how long this will last. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The world is changing; hopefully, it is healing, too. There are lessons in humanity that can be gleaned from this pandemic.
This Leader, therefore, would like to encourage more Malaysians to be “heroes” and look out for each other. Be more mindful of our surroundings and report anything unusual to the police. While we commend the government, police, the armed forces, the medical fraternity and other frontliners for doing a good job, we, as responsible citizens, should play our part — by adhering to the MCO and staying at home. It is each and every Malaysian’s responsibility to keep himself safe. By doing that, he is keeping those around him safe, too. The proof is in the numbers.