LETTERS: Malaysia's Covid-19 recovery rate of 87.1 per cent shows that the chances for us to survive the pandemic are high. What is important is that we should remain optimistic and not panic.
When the Movement Control Order (MCO) was implemented on March 18 and was followed by the Conditional MCO from May 4 till June 9 and then by the Recovery MCO from June 10 till Aug 31, many people had different responses to the restrictions which were imposed.
Some praised the move while others criticised the government for being too strict, particularly when the Enhanced MCO was enforced in certain infected areas.
Amnesty International Malaysia voiced its concerns regarding human rights issues when the MCO was implemented.
Despite the criticisms and challenges, the government had managed to control the pandemic effectively. Regrettably, some people take things too lightly and break the law. As a result, many people died not because of the pandemic but due to the negligence and selfishness of others.
An example can be seen in the cases of fatal drink driving-related incidents, which resulted in the deaths of people.
This problem has led to a proposal to amend the Road Traffic Act 1987 (Act 333) so that heavier punishments can be meted out to drink drivers. In the latest case, a drunk driver was fined RM4,000 and had his driving licence suspended for two years by the Traffic Court.
This should serve as a lesson to road users that they must be responsible citizens and avoid driving recklessly. Drunk drivers must understand that their actions have adverse consequences. This is especially so on their victims' dependants.
Crimes such as social distancing violations, falsifying information for interstate travel, as well as murder, drug trafficking, rape, domestic violence, abandoning of pets, criminal breach of trust, illegal immigrants and insulting one's religion, have been occurring during the MCO and CMCO period.
And now during RMCO, some politicians have begun issuing malicious statements and accusations against one another.
However, I believe now is the best time for everyone to exercise self-discipline and do some self-reflection, as well as find the best objective in one's life. In other words, there must be a balance between the rights and duties concerning oneself in relations with other people.
Dr Duryana Mohamed
Legal Practice Department Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times