PHOTO: Polis KL

BY: CHRISTOPHER FERNANDEZ

The National Recovery Plan to solve the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia is the culmination of a 16-month struggle by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government which witnessed a roller coaster ride for many Malaysians.

PN was basically shooting in the dark and it was all trial-and-error as they were absolutely clueless as to how to go about countering Covid-19 and it was flip-flops all the way that confused and disoriented a large number of Malaysians.

If mental health issues are on the rise, it is precisely because of the PN government’s awkward response to the challenges of trying to eradicate Covid-19 which has now witnessed more than 5,000 Malaysian deaths with the toll set to rise.

Ministers from the rank of Prime Minister to Senior Ministers and opposing  politicians combined to create chaos as they issued conflicting instructions during the implementation of various Movement Control Orders (MCOs) when the Covid-19 menace should have been largely the call of healthcare professionals to dictate.

It is blatantly clear from day one that the PN government got it wrong. If only they had played an overseer’s role only and let those with the knowledge, skills and experience to handle this crisis the outcome would have been far more positive.

Now that push has come to shove, the NRP has been introduced in a face-saving measure but better late than never. The NRP while not fully solving the Covid-19 issue is a step in the right direction but it needs to be fine-tuned and tweaked accordingly here and there as it is set in motion.

For this purpose, the PN government must listen to constructive criticism and not silence dissent. They should allow every Malaysian, of whatever stripe, to voice their views as stakeholders in the country. This is a time to come together and fight a common enemy in unison by everyone.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher