LETTERS: It is rather unfortunate that the Covid-19 pandemic seems to only widen inequalities in our society, especially social equality.
Although we are all in the storm together, we are each in very different boats - the lifejacket, the raft, the comfortable boat, or the luxury yacht.
There is no denying that some of us will be able to manage this situation with more ease than others.
Nevertheless, this is not the time for us as Malaysians to advance a class war against each other. It is not the time for the people of the higher social class to blame the poor for being lazy, and that they can always work out of being poor.
It is also not the time for the lower class people to dictate that the rich and the more able people do not deserve any kind of aid or financial assistance, just because they have had it easier before, and they are not struggling enough.
The vaccination drive in the country is also dragged into this unnecessary class war. While there are people who are willing to take any type of vaccine as long as they can get protection and go out for work, some others especially those who are of the upper class is displaying a blatant hesitation towards taking AstraZeneca for example, as they are more worried about not being able to enjoy their vacation in Europe later as the vaccine way not approved by the European Union earlier.
It gets more ridiculous with the pointless comparison between different types of vaccines, likening Pfizer to driving a Mercedes or BMW and Sinovac or AstraZeneca to riding a Kancil or Proton, when the crucial matter is to have a vehicle (which is the vaccine regardless of its type) to arrive at the destination, which is achieving herd immunity.
This class war could be traced back to our 'all or nothing' attitude. We always have this thought that all people in the upper class are living perfect enough for them to coast through, and because of this, they do not need help.
All of them are also so privileged that it is impossible for them to have any struggles. And if any of them are struggling, all their struggles must be trivial and not worth addressing.
Then there are also our presumptuous opinions. We presume that just because other people did not grow up from the same marginalized background as we did and did not experience difficult things we experienced firsthand, they have no say whatsoever in our struggles, and that they should just shut up as their opinion does not matter.
We do not need any more absurdities on how this pandemic is handled and the constant power brokering that has crippled the country. What we need is for every Malaysians from all walks of life to work together to wage a war against Covid-19, the only war that matters now, and not against each other.
All plights, crisis, and sufferings are valid regardless of their social differences and we must equally address them.
Instead of playing the game of 'my crisis is bigger than your crisis', start asking each other 'how I can make the situation better for you'.
Upper class, middle class, lower class, these are just mere labels. And there are no labels for kindness, empathy, understanding, and compassion.
Mohamad Syafiq Ya Shak
UiTM, Perak branch
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times