As we are one-tenth of USA population, is the Malaysian government expecting some 10,000-20,000 deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic as the American authorities are expecting 100,000 to 200,000 to die in the pandemic?

I was shocked when I read a report of the national medical director of National Health Service (NHS) England, Prof Stephen Powis saying that every citizen in the United Kingdom must play a part if the number of deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic are to be kept below 20,000.

But it was a greater shock to read of the prediction of the man in charge of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States, Anthony Fuaci, the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, that Covid-19 could claim from 100,000 to 200,000 lives.

It was only a few days ago that American President Donald Trump had optimistically spoken of restarting the American economy by Easter Sunday on April 12, but he has to make a humiliating retreat after having squandered six precious weeks at the start of the pandemic and saw the full horror of  United States becoming the new epicentre of the pandemic – topping the world as the nation with the most number of confirmed cases exceeding 140,000 cases with a death toll  of 357 in the last 24 hours.

As we are one-tenth of USA population, is the Malaysian government expecting some 10,000-20,000 deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic as the American authorities are expecting 100,000 to 200,000 to die in the pandemic?

These grim predictions of 20,000 deaths in United Kingdom and 100,000-200,000 deaths by the very people in charge of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic in UK and US respectively should be salutary reminders to Malaysians who take light of the Covid-19 outbreak and do not want to comply with the Movement Control Order (MCO).

While the government should be ‘
firm, creative, flexible, nimble
” in waging the invisible war against Covid-19 and enforcing the MCO, one important lesson must be driven home – that the invisible war against Covid-19 can only be won with the support, solidarity and  the unity of all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or party politics.

The Covid-19 does not recognise race, religion, region or party politics.

It was initially widely viewed as a ‘
Chinese problem
’ and then an ‘
Italian problem
’, when it is in fact ‘
everybody’s problem
’.  Now, it seems to be safer to be in China than to be outside from the Covid 19 pandemic!

Yesterday, Health Ministry director-general Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah said the new clusters among the 150 new Covid-19 cases confirmed positive include fourth and fifth-generation clusters from the Sri Petaling tabligh gathering on Feb. 27 – March 1. Although the Sri Petaling tabligh gathering was oft-mentioned,  the Covid-19 infections had nothing to do with religion but everything to do with large gatherings.

The South Korean case of Patient 31 is a case in point that widespread Covid-19 infections have nothing to do with religion but is caused by close contact in large gatherings.

The super-spreader, Patient 31, infected many others after attending services at the Shincheongji Church of Jesus and  after attending a buffet dinner.

In northern India, some 40,000 people from 20 villages  were put under strict quarantine over Covid-19 infections after a religious leader died of Covid-19 after returning from a trip to Europe’s virus epicentre Italy and Germany.

In New Orleans, the Louisiana city known as the “
Big Easy
” famed for its jazz and nightlife has become an epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic gripping the United States and caused America to leapfrog China and Italy as the country with most confirmed infections.

The Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans on March 9 has been described as a “
perfect storm
” for the spread of Covid-19 as large crowds packed into the city’s French Quarter, sharing drinking cups and passing round traditional bead necklaces.

There is an  explosion of Covid-19 cases in New Orleans which had less than 100 cases less than two weeks ago, but has now 1,350 confirmed cases and 73 deaths.

In its spread to 203 countries and territories, the Covid-19 pandemic knows no  race, religion, region or politics.

The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres has called for  a global ceasefire which would “
help create corridors for life-saving aid
” and “
bring hope to places among the most vulnerable to COVID-19
.” He pointed out that refugee camps and people with existing health conditions are most at risk of suffering “devastating losses.”

Pope Francis stressed that the current emergency of Covid-19 “
knows no barriers
” and urged nations in conflict to respond to the appeal by the United Nations Secretary General for an “
immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world
” and to “
focus together on the true fight of our lives
” – the “
battle
” against the coronavirus.

Malaysians should similarly respond by convening an emergency meeting of Parliament to demonstrate support, unity and solidarity of the  Malaysian people, regardless of race, religion, region or party politics for a national strategy to counter the existential threat posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Monday 30th March 2020)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 March 2020, 4:40 pm and is filed under
COVID-19
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
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.


Malaysia must learn from the lessons of South Korea, China, United Kingdom and Italy and convene an emergency meeting of Parliament to craft a “whatever it takes” strategy  to flatten both the epidemiological  and recession curves of the Covid-19 pandemic

Malaysia perlu mempelajari pengajaran daripada Korea Selatan, China, United Kingdom dan Itali dan memanggil satu persidangan khas Parlimen untuk merangka satu strategi untuk meratakan lengkungan penyebaran Covid-19 dan lengkungan kemelesetan ekonomi yang disebabkannnya

Tidak ada satu hari yang berlalu tanpa peningkatan rekod buruk Covid-19.

Dalam tempoh 24 jam yang lepas, pemecutan penularan global wabak Covid-19 terus meningkat. Virus ini mengambil 67 hari untuk merekodkan 100,000 kes yang pertamanya, 11 hari untuk 100,000 kes kedua, empat hari untuk 100,000 kes ketiga, tiga hari untuk 100,000 kes keempat, dua hari untuk 100,000 kes kelima, dan sehari untuk mencapai 100,000 kes keenamnya.

Kini terdapat sejumlah 721,412 kes yang disahkan di peringkat global, dengan 33,956 kematian dan 151,004 kes yang sudah pulih. 24 jam sebelum angka ini dicapai, jumlah keseluruhan kes global adalah 662,751 kes.

Keseluruhan kes aktif global buat masa ini adalah 536,452 kes.

Sepuluh negara teratas dengan jumlah kes tertinggi menurut laman web https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ adalah seperti berikut:

AS: 139,904 kes, 2,449 kematian

Itali: 97,689 kes, 10,779 kematian

China: 81,439 kes, 3,300 kematian

Sepanyol: 80,031 kes, 6,802 kematian

Jerman: 62,095 kes, 525 kematian

Perancis: 40,174 kes, 2,606 kematian

Iran: 38,309 kes, 2,640 kematian

UK: 19,522 kes, 1,228 kematian

Switzerland: 14,829 kes, 300 kematian

Belanda: 10,864 kes, 771 kematian

Di Malaysia pula, kita mencapai tahap baharu dengan peningkatan 150 kes yang membawa jumlah keseluruhan kepada 2,470 kes dengan 8 kematian baharu membawa jumlah kematian keseluruhan kepada 35.

Terdapat beberapa lagi berita menyayat hati dalam 24 jam yang lepas.

Lebih banyak negara di serata dunia kini di bawah perintah berkurung akibat penularan pantas wabak Covid-19. Ibu negara Nigeria, Lagos dan bandar Abuja kini sedang menjalani perintah berkurung, begitu juga dengan Moscow yang akan ditutup mulai esok, mengurung hampir 12 juta penduduk bandar tersebut di rumah mereka, manakala Itali akan melanjutkan perintah berkurungnya melepasi 3 April.

Di United Kingdom, kerajaan telah memberikan amaran yang “kehidupan normal” mungkin tidak akan kembali dalam tempoh enam bulan yang mendatang, dan unit rawatan rapi untuk pesakit coronavirus kini dihadkan kepada mereka yang mempunyai “kemungkinan munasabah” akan kekal hidup.

Antara perkara yang menjadi kerunsingan adalah peratusan tinggi petugas perubatan dan barisan hadapan yang terjangkit dengan wabak ini. Di Sepanyol, dijangkakan sehingga 14% ataupun lebih kurang 5,400 daripada jumlah kes wabak ini terdiri daripada para petugas kesihatan.

Masalah ini lebih runcing di Eropah, memandangkan hanya dalam minggu lepas dilaporkan di Itali, Perancis, dan Sepanyol lebih daripada 30 orang petugas kesihatan telah terkorban akibat wabak Covid-19 ini, dan beribu lagi yang lain terpaksa mengasingkan diri mereka.

Namun perkembangan yang paling menyayat hati adalah laporan daripada kerajaan United Kingdom yang mengatakan bahawa mereka dikira telah melakukan yang terbaik jika mereka berjaya mengekalkan jumlah kematian akibat Covid-19 di bawah paras 20,000 nyawa. Jumlah korban keseluruhan United Kingdom buat masa ini adalah 2,606 nyawa.

Jika di UK mereka melihat 20,000 kematian sebagai kayu ukur mereka, apakah kayu ukur bagi pihak berkuasa di Malaysia?

Pakej rangsangan ekonomi bernilai RM250 bilion yang diumumkan oleh Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin jumaat lepas telah mengecewakan ramai kerana tidak mencapai strategi “melakukan apa sahaja”.

Pakar ekonomi Profesor Terence Gomez menimbulkan persoalan mengapa semua syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC) tidak dimanfaatkan dalam satu strategi untuk menggerakkan semula ekonomi negara.

Malaysia perlu mempelajari pengajaran daripada Korea Selatan, China, United Kingdom dan Itali dan memanggil satu persidangan khas Parlimen untuk merangka satu strategi untuk meratakan lengkungan penyebaran Covid-19 dan lengkungan kemelesetan ekonomi yang disebabkannnya

Saya telah menyeru untuk satu strategi yang “tegas, kreatif, fleksibel, dan lincah” untuk menangani pelbagai cabaran wabak Covid-19, dan dalam semangat strategi ini, saya menyeru supaya Muhyiddin mengambil pakai cadangan daripada persatuan civil dan NGO supaya semua NGO yang telah sebelum ini mengedarkan bantuan makanan, ubat-ubatan dan bantuan-bantuan lain dibenarkan untuk meneruskan aktiviti mereka dengan satu cara yang selamat dan bertanggungjawab, dengan kerjasama penuh kerajaan, dan dengan mematuhi panduan kesihatan dan keselamatan yang disediakan oleh pihak kerajaan.

Pihak kerajaan perlu sedar terdapat banyak golongan memerlukan yang terjejas dengan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan ini dan kini sedang menghadapi kesukaran untuk mendapatkan keperluan asas seperti bahan makanan.

Komuniti ini termasuklah golongan B40, golongan miskin bandar dan luar bandar, rakyat Malaysia yang telah kehilangan punca pendapatan akibat PKP, warga emas, mereka yang tidak boleh keluar rumah, orang sakit, anak yatim, Orang Asli, pekerja warga asing, warga pelarian, dan ramai lagi.

Muhyiddin harus ingat bahawa era “kerajaan tahu semua” sudah berakhir.

(Kenyataan media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada hari Isnin 30 Mac 2020)

==================================

Not a day passes without a new grim milestone in the invisible global war against Covid-19.

In the last 24 hours, the global acceleration of Covid-19 cases at  an exponential rate of raged on unabated.  It took 67 days from the first reported case to reach 100,000 cases, 11 days for second 100,000 cases, four days for the third 100,000 cases, three days for the fourth 100,000 cases, two days for the fifth 100,000 cases, and one day for the sixth 100,000 cases.

The  global confirmed Covid-19 cases now stand at 721,412 with 33,956 deaths and 151,004  recoveries. Twenty-four hours before that, it was 662,751 cases.

The global total for active infections is now 536,452.

The top ten countries for number of coronavirus cases worldwide, according to tracker site, https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/, is as follows:

– US:139,904 cases, 2,449 deaths

– Italy: 97,689 cases, 10,779 deaths

– China: 81,439 cases, 3,300 deaths

– Spain: 80,031 cases, 6,802 deaths

– Germany: 62,095 cases, 525 deaths

– France: 40,174 cases, 2,606 deaths

– Iran: 38,309 cases, 2,640 deaths

– UK: 19,522 cases, 1,228 deaths

– Switzerland: 14,829 cases, 300 deaths

– Netherlands: 10,864 cases, 771 deaths

Locally, Malaysia yesterday  reached new heights in the Covid-19 pandemic with an increase of 150 cases to reach a total tally of 2,470 cases, and an increase of  eight deaths to reach a total fatality of 35.

There had been further  heart-wrenching developments in the past 24 hours.

More and more parts of the world are being locked down as a result of the exponential spread of Covid-19. Nigeria’s capital Lagos and the city of Abuja are being locked down, Moscow will be locked down from tomorrow confining the city’s nearly 12 million people to their homes while Italy will extend its month-long lockdown beyond 3rd April.

In the United Kingdom, the government has warned that a “normal way of living” may not return for more than six months, while intensive care for coronavirus patients is now being limited to those “reasonably certain” to survive.

Of great concern is the high percentage of medical personnel and frontliners  infected with the coronavirus. In  Spain, it was  estimated last week  that nearly 14% of the confirmed coronavirus cases, or some 5,400, were  medical professionals.

The problem is particularly widespread in  Europe, as a week ago, it was reported that more than 30 health care professionals had died of the coronavirus, and thousands of others have had to self-isolate, in Italy, France and Spain.

But the most heart-wrenching development of all was the report emanating from United Kingdom government that United Kingdom would do well if it managed to keep the Covid-19 death toll below 20,000 in the pandemic.  UK’s present Covid-19 death toll is 2,606.

If the Government authorities are looking at a  Covid-19 death toll below 20,000, what is the death toll the Malaysian authorities are looking at?

The RM250 billion economic stimulus package announced by the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin last Friday has disappointed many as it does not meet a  “whatever it takes” strategy.

Economist Prof Terence Gomez, for instance, has raised the pertinent question why not all government-linked companies (IGLCs) were being roped in a ”whatever it takes” strategy to reflate the economy.

Malaysia must learn from the lessons of South Korea, China, United Kingdom and Italy and convene an emergency meeting of Parliament to craft a “whatever it takes” strategy to flatten both the epidemiological  and recession curves of the Covid-19 pandemic.

I have called for a “firm, creative, flexible, nimble” strategy to deal with the manifold challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, and in this spirit, I call on Muhyiddin to adopt the proposal by the civil society and NGOs allow all NGOs that have been distributing food, medicine and other aid to be allowed to continue doing so in a way that is safe and responsible, in full cooperation with the government, and in accordance with the health and safety guidelines of the government.

The government must appreciate  that  many vulnerable communities are affected by the Movement Control Order and are having difficulties accessing basic necessities such as food.

These communities include the B40, urban and rural poor, Malaysians who have lost their income as a result of the MCO, the elderly, the housebound, the sick, orphans, orang asli, migrant workers, refugee communities, and many, many more.

Muhyiddin should not forget that the era of “government knows best” is over.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Monday, March 30, 2020)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 March 2020, 10:03 am and is filed under
COVID-19
,
Economics
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
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Hopeful signs that JP Morgan’s grim projection of Malaysia peaking at  6,300 Covid-19 cases by mid-April proven wrong

Petanda memberansangkan yang jangkaan suram JP Morgan bahawa Malaysia akan mempunyai 6,300 kes Covid-19 menjelang pertengahan April mungkin terbukti silap

Sebelum Mac, soalan yang sering ditanyakan dalam peperangan global melawan wabak Covid-19 adalah: Negara manakah yang telah melaksanakan perintah berkurung? Kini persoalan ini bertukar kepada, negara manakah yang masih belum melaksanakan perintah berkurung!

Buat masa ini, UK, AS, Kesatuan Eropah, dan negara-negara di Asia dan serata dunia sedang berada dalam suatu bentuk perintah berkurung, di mana rakyat mereka diarahkan untuk kekal berada di rumah bagi mengelakkan jangkitan dan penyebaran virus Covid-19.

Seminggu yang lepas, pusat kajian JP Morgan meramalkan yang Malaysia kini berada “fasa pemecutan” dengan peningkatan jangkitan Covid-19 yang berpotensi memuncak kepada 6,300 kes menjelang pertengahan April.

Pusat kajian tersebut menjangkakan yang fasa pemecutan ini akan berkekalan selama kira-kira seminggu setengah hingga ke dua minggu sebelum masuk ke dalam fasa pengumpulan, di mana kadar peningkatan jangkitan keseluruhan menurun kepada antara 100 ke 250.

Terdapat beberapa pakar kesihatan yang merasakan jangkaan JP Morgan adalah terlalu optimistik, manakala Institut Kajian Ekonomi Malaysia (MIER) menjangkakan jumlah kemuncak yang lebih tinggi pada 8,900 kes.

Tetapi, semua jangkaan suram ini telah membuatkan pihak Kementerian Kesihatan bertungkus lumus dalam peperangan global ini bagi memastikan jangkaan 6,300 oleh pihak JP Morgan ini tidak menjadi kenyataan.

Seperti yang dikatakan oleh Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, pihak Kementerian telah mengambil maklum semua jangkaan ini namun percaya yang ianya boleh dielakkan.

“Kami berharap dengan sistem kesihatan dan perintah kawalan pergerakan sedia ada, kita boleh mengenal pasti mereka yang dijangkiti, dan mengasingkan mereka untuk dirawat.

“Harapnya dengan dengan usaha ini, kita dapat mengurangkan angka tersebut dan tidak mencapai tahap seperti yang dijangkakan. Itu adalah sasaran kita. Kita sedang cuba untuk meratakan lengkungan eksponensial”.

Terdapat petanda memberansangkan yang jangkaan JP Morgan ini mungkin terbukti silap, dengan Malaysia mempelajari pengajaran daripada negara-negara lain seperti Korea Selatan, China, Itali, Sepanyol, Perancis, Iran, Turki, United Kingdom, dan Amerika Syarikat berkenaan wabak Covid-19.

Amatlah mengejutkan apabila pihak berkuasa di UK menjangkakan kematian sehingga 20,000 nyawa dan pada masa yang sama pihak berkuasa di AS pula menjangkakan korban sehingga 100,000 ke 200,000 nyawa akibat wabak Covid-19 ini.

Memandangkan Malaysia mempunyai sejumlah lebih kurang satu persepuluh populasi Amerika Syarikat, adakah perlu menjangkakan korban nyawa sekitar 10,000 ke 20,000?

Walau bagaimanapun, saya percaya yang kita boleh bangkit daripada mimpi ngeri Covid-19 ini dan membuktikan yang kita mempunyai sistem kesihatan awam yang jauh lebih baik daripada yang ada di Amerika Syarikat, United Kingdom, dan banyak lagi negara di Kesatuan Eropah dan negara OIC lain.

Perkara ini boleh dilihat di mana Malaysia berjaya mengekalkan kadar kematian yang rendah sekitar 1.4% daripada jumlah kes yang disahkan, berbanding dengan kadar kematian 11.4% di Itali, 8.6% di Sepanyol, 7.4% di Belanda, 6.8% di Perancis, 6.6% di Iran, 6.4% di United Kingdom dan 1.9% di Amerika Syarikat.

Kadar kematian di United Kingdom dan Amerika Syarikat dijangkakan untuk terus meningkat memandangkan wabak ini belum lagi mencapai kemuncaknya di dua negara tersebut.

Dalam tempoh 24 jam yang lepas, Sepanyol telah mengatasi China sebagai negara ketiga terbanyak kes positif Covid-19, di belakang Amerika Syarikat dan Itali.

Sejumlah 775,540 kes disahkan telah direkodkan di seluruh dunia, dengan 37,901 kematian dan 164,541 kes yang sudah pulih. Jumlah kes aktif semasa adalah 573,908 kes.

Statistik untuk jumlah keseluruhan kes positif dan kematian (bersama dengan kadar kematian daripada jumlah keseluruhan kes positif) untuk sebelas negara teratas dan Malaysia adalah seperti berikut:

AS: 159,689 kes, 2,951 kematian (1.8%)

Itali: 101,739 kes, 11,591 kematian (11.4%)

Sepanyol: 85,195 kes, 7,340 kematian (8.6%)

China: 81,470 kes, 3,304 kematian (4%)

Jerman 66.125 kes, 616 kematian (0.9%)

Perancis: 44,550 kes, 3,024 kematian (6.8%)

Iran: 41,495 kes, 2,757 kematian (6.6%)

UK: 22,141 kes, 1,408 kematian (6.4%)

Switzerland 15,760 kes; 348 kematian (2.2%)

Belgium 11,899 kes, 513 kematian (4.3%)

Belanda: 11,750 kes, 864 kematian (7.4)

Malaysia 2,626 kes, 37 kematian (1.4%)

Data diambil daripada laman web https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Semua rakyat Malaysia perlu memberikan sokongan penuh kepada para petugas kesihatan dan barisan hadapan dalam negara kita yang sedang bertungkus lumus memerangi wabak Covid-19 ini, bukan sahaja untuk memastikan jangkaan JP Morgan tidak menjadi kenyataan, tetapi juga untuk mengelakkan krisis kesihatan yang berlaku di negara lain terjadi di negara kita.

Pihak pegawai kesihatan di Sepanyol yang telah menyaksikan 537 kematian akibat wabak ini dalam tempoh 24 jam yang lepas, telah mengatakan yang sekurang-kurangnya enam daripada 17 daerah di negara tersebut telah kehabisan unit rawatan rapi dan tiga lagi daerah mungkin akan berhadapan dengan situasi yang sama tidak lama lagi. Para pekerja Sepanyol sedang berlumba melawan masa untuk membina hospital lapangan bagi membolehkan mereka merawat jumlah pesakit yang sedang bertambah.

Perkara yang memburukkan lagi keadaan adalah kira-kira 15% mereka yang disahkan positif Covid-19 adalah kakitangan kesihatan yang mengurangkan jumlah keseluruhan petugas kesihatan untuk menguruskan peningkatan jumlah pesakit.

Di Madrid, penularan bergerak dengan amat pantas dan mengorbankan terlalu banyak nyawa sehingga satu gelanggang ais terpaksa diubahsuai menjadi rumah mayat sementara untuk menangani peningkatan jumlah mayat yang meningkat secara mendadak.

Malaysia perlu terus bersedia untuk menghadapi situasi terburuk dan pada masa yang sama mengharapkan yang terbaik. Kita tidak boleh hanya mencontohi Korea Selatan dengan kadar kematian 1.6 peratusnya tetapi kita perlu buat yang lebih baik untuk menurunkan kadar kematian dalam negara ke bawah satu peratus.

Banyak negara lain di sekitar Asia dan Afrika yang mempunyai kadar kematian yang lebih tinggi — Indonesia (8.6%), Mesir (6.25%), Maghribi (6.2%), Algeria (5.9%), Filipina (5%) dan India (2.6%).

Malaysia tidak boleh mencapai satu tahap di mana doktor perlu membuat keputusan, siapa yang dapat terus hidup dan siapa yang perlu dibiarkan mati kerana ketiadaan alat bantuan pernafasan. Kerana hanya satu kematian yang boleh dielakkan sekalipun adalah terlalu banyak untuk Malaysia.

(Kenyataan media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada hari Selasa 31 Mac 2020)

==============================

Before  March, the question oft-asked in  the invisible global war against Covid-19 pandemic was: Which country has imposed a lock-down?  Now, the question is, Which country has not imposed a lock-down!

Now, the UK, US, EU and many countries in Asia and the world are currently in some degree of “lock-down” and their people  are required to stay home to avoid catching or spreading the Covid-19 virus.

A week ago, JP Morgan’s research house projected that Malaysia had entered the “
acceleration phase
” pertaining to the increase in Covid-19 infections and that this could peak at approximately 6,300 cases by the middle of April.

The research house is pricing in expectations that the acceleration phase of the curve will last for only a week and a half to two weeks before moving into the accumulation stage, when the overall infection growth rate slows to between 100 and 250.

There were medical experts who felt that Morgan’s projections were “
too optimistic
” and the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) predicted an even higher peak figure, at 8,900 cases.

But these grim  predictions have made the Health Ministry and the front-liners  go all-out in the invisible global war against the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure that the Morgan projection of 6,300 infections by mid-April does not come to pass.

As the Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has said, the Health Ministry has taken note of the projection but believes it can be beaten.

“We hope that, with the healthcare system and movement control order in place, we can positively identify those infected, isolate them and treat them.

“We hope with our efforts, we can reduce that figure and not reach it. That is our target. We are trying to flatten the exponential curve”.

There are hopeful signs that Morgan’s grim projection of Malaysia peaking at 6,300 Covid-19 cases by mid-April can  be proven wrong, with Malaysia learning the lessons from other countries, like South Korea, China, Italy, Spain, France, Iran, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States in the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is shocking that the authorities in UK are expecting a death toll of below 20,000 while the US authorities are expecting a death toll from 100,000 to 200,000 in the Covid 19 pandemic.

As Malaysia is one-tenth of USA population, should we be expecting some 10,000-20,000 deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic as the American authorities are expecting 100,000 to 200,000 to die in the pandemic?

However, I am confident that we will be able to emerge from the Covid-19 nightmare to prove that we have a better public healthcare systems than the United States,  United Kingdom and   many other  EU and OIC countries.

This has been borne out so  far in the Covid 19 pandemic, where Malaysia has been able to maintain a low fatality rate for confirmed Covid-19 cases – Malaysia’s  1.4% fatality  rate as compared to 11.4% for Italy, 8.6% for Spain, 7.4% for Netherlands, 6.8%  for France, 6.6% for Iran, 6.4% for United Kingdom and 1.9% for United States.

The fatality rate from Covid-19 is expected to climb further in UK and US as the pandemic have still to reach its peak in these two countries.

In the last 24 hours, Spain has surpassed China as the third country after United States and Italy to be the top three countries in the world with the most number of confirmed Covid 19 cases.

The global total of confirmed Covid-19 cases now stand at 775,540  with 37,091 deaths and 164,541 recoveries. The global total for active infections is now 573,908.

The statistics for the total  number of coronavirus cases and the total number of deaths  (with the percentage of fatalities from the total confirmed cases) for the  top eleven countries and  Malaysia are as follows.  according to tracker site, https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ –

– US: 159,689 cases, 2,951 deaths (1.8%)

– Italy: 101,739 cases, 11,591 deaths (11.4%)

– Spain: 85,195 cases, 7,340 deaths (8.6%)

– China: 81,470 cases, 3,304 deaths (4%)

– Germany 66.125 cases, 616 deaths (0.9%)

– France: 44,550 cases, 3,024 deaths (6.8%)

– Iran: 41,495 cases, 2,757 deaths (6.6%)

– UK: 22,141 cases, 1,408 deaths (6.4%)

– Switzerland: 15.760 cases; 348 deaths (2.2%)

– Belgium: 11,899 cases, 513 deaths (4.3%)

– Netherlands: 11,750 cases, 864 deaths (7.4)

– Malaysia: 2,626 cases, 37 deaths (1.4%)

Malaysians must fully support the  medical practitioners and front-liners in the country in the invisible war against Covid 19, not only to ensure that Morgan’s dire projection does not come true but to avoid the crisis which is afflicting public health care systems in other countries.

In Spain, which suffered  537 fatalities from Covid 19 in the last 24 hours, health officials said at least six of the country’s 17 regions have already reached their limit of intensive care unit beds and three others are close to it. Spanish crew workers are racing to build field hospitals to help the growing number of patients diagnosed with the pneumonia-like disease.

To make things worse, about 15% of those who tested positive for COVID-19 in Spain are health care workers, leaving the system with even fewer professionals to handle the overwhelming demand.

In Madrid, the outbreak is moving so fast and killing so many people that an ice rink was turned into a makeshift morgue last week to deal with the growing number of bodies.

Malaysia must continue to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. We should not only emulate South Korea, which has kept its fatality rate to 1.6% of confirmed cased, we should better it by bringing the present 1.4%  fatality rate below one per cent.

Many countries in Asia and Africa have higher fatality rates – Indonesia (8.6%),  Egypt (6.25%), Morocco (6.2%), Algeria (5.9%), Philippines (5%) and India (2.6%).

Malaysia must not reach a stage where, because of shortage of ventilators and other essential equipment, doctors have to decide who to live  and who do die, as one avoidable death is too many in Malaysia.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Tuesday, 31st March 2020)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 31 March 2020, 10:10 am and is filed under
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Muhyiddin should announce an economic rescue package for SMEs and others missed out in the economic package last Friday as well as give top priority to public health

Muhyiddin perlu mengumumkan pakej penyelamatan kepada PKS dan golongan-golongan lain yang tidak dibantu melalui pakej rangsangan ekonomi yang diumumkan Jumaat lepas dan pada masa yang sama memberikan keutamaan kepada kesihatan awam

Hari ini bermulanya pelanjutan dua minggu Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) sehingga 14 April.

Walaupun penghujungnya masih tidak diketahui, statistik Covid-19 semasa PKP memberikan harapan memberansangkan bahawa jangkaan 6,300 kes seperti yang diramalkan oleh JP Morgan mungkin tidak akan tercapai.

Selain daripada 23 dan 26 Mac di mana jumlah kes disahkan merekodkan peningkatan harian 212 dan 235 kes, kebanyakan jumlah peningkatan harian kekal berada di bawah paras 200 kes sehari.

Kita juga mempunyai kadar penyembuhan yang agak baik, dengan 58 lagi pesakit Covid-19 dibenarkan pulang dari hospital dalam 24 jam yang lepas, membawa jumlah pemulihan kepada 537.

Satu kematian yang boleh dielakkan sekalipun adalah terlalu tinggi adalah tinggi untuk kita, namun penting untuk kita sedar yang kita berjaya mengekalkan kadar kematian akibat ini di paras yang rendah, walaupun ia telah meningkat sedikit ke paras 1.55%; 43 kematian daripada sejumlah 2,766 kes positif.

Kita perlu berusaha untuk mengekalkan kadar kematian akibat Covid-19 di bawah satu peratus, yang akan melihatkan kadar kematian keseluruhan kekal di bawah 100 kematian.

Jumlah kes disahkan global kini adalah 856,917 kes, dengan 42,107 kematian dan 117,141 pemulihan.

Satu lagi peristiwa suram yang direkodkan dalam tempoh 24 jam yang lepas ialah jumlah kematian global yang kini melepas paras 40,000 kematian.

Data terkini penularan Covid-19 termasuklah dengan perkembangan terkini 24 jam yang lepas untuk 12 negara tertinggi, dan juga Malaysia adalah seperti berikut:

AS: 187,347 kes, 3860 kematian (2%)

Itali: 105,792 kes, 12,428 kematian (11.75%)

Sepanyol: 95,923 kes, 8,464 kematian (8.8%)

China: 81,518 kes, 3,305 kematian (4%)

Jerman 71,808 kes, 775 kematian (1.1%)

Perancis: 52,128 kes, 3,523 kematian (6.8%)

Iran: 44,605 kes, 2,898 kematian (6.5%)

UK: 25,150 kes, 1,789 kematian (7.1%)

Switzerland 16,605 kes; 433 kematian (2.6%)

Turki 13,531 kes, 214 kematian (1.6%)

Belgium 12,775 kes, 705 kematian (5.5%)

Belanda: 12,595 kes, 1,039 kematian (8.2)

Malaysia 2,766 kes, 43 kematian (1.55%)

(sumber data: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/)

Jika kita tidak berhadapan dengan sebarang peningkatan mendadak jangkitan baru Covid-19 dalam dua minggu yang akan datang ini, dan jika kita boleh mengekalkan kadar kematian berada di bawah paras satu peratus, Malaysia mempunyai peluang yang cerah untuk memenangi peperangan melawan wabak ini.

Namun begitu, rakyat Malaysia harus menerima hakikat baharu kehidupan, yang peperangan ini adalah satu perkara yang akan memakan masa yang panjang dan berlarutan sehinggalah satu vaksin dapat dicipta, kerana pada bila-bila masa sahaja virus ini boleh menular semula.

Cara kita bekerja dan menjalani kehidupan seharian berubah dengan kedatangan wabak ini, sehinggalah kita berjaya mencipta vaksin untuknya.

Dengan permulaan lanjut PKP harii ini, Muhyiddin patut mengumumkan satu pakej penyelamatan kepada Perusahaan Kecil dan Sederhana (PKS) dan golongan-golongan lain yang mungkin tidak diberi bantuan dalam pakej ransangan ekonomi yang diumumkan Jumaat lepas, yang dirangka untuk berhadapan dengan PKP namun bukanlah dengan pelanjutannya, dan pada masa yang sama memberikan keutamaan kepada pembiayaan kesihatan awam.

Saya telah menerima mesej berikut, yang menunjukkan bencana kewangan dan ekonomi yang dihadapi oleh PKS jika mereka tidak dibantu oleh kerajaan:

“If the lockdown continue until 30th April then I will be forced into early retirement by closing down my factory. Reason is I can’t afford to pay salary, rental, instalment, loan and zero collection n etc etc

“January work 17 days

“Because of CNY

“February work 20 days

“March work 13 days

“Because of lockdown

“April 0 days

“If lockdown continue

“Pay 4 months salary

“Only 50 days productive

“Should I take out my savings and pay salary. I am already 57…\

“As I know a lot of SME is facing the same problem. My next door neighbor has 60 workers, 5 rented factories and some instalment paying machinery. He needs 300k every month. At 42 his 15 years of hard work is going to be wiped off if lockdown continues

“Msian normally give 60+ days credit. We haven’t collected the dec, Jan, Feb bills and the lockdown start. Supposing we start work in May, do you think the client can pay? This may drag till June or July before the payment comes in. How many SME can withstand until July. If the gomen doesn’t help us then we are finished

“Nobody is going to be spared. If your children have financial problem, are you going to help? so are your siblings…

”No matter how solid is your house, when your neighbor on fire you will also be burnt. When you throw a stone in the middle of the pond, eventually the ripple with reached you

“Hopefully the Government  will create a Stimulus Package for SME. If not

“God Blessed Msia

“Amen”.

Satu pakej penyelamatan ekonomi untuk membantu PKS perlu menjadi keutamaan tertinggi untuk Muhyiddin dan Malaysia jika kita mahu melihat negara ini berjaya dalam menghadapi cabaran kesihatan awam dan ekonomi yang dibawa oleh Covid-19 bagi membolehkan kita melonjak semula ekonomi negara dalam era pasca-PKP.

(Kenyataan media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada hari Isnin 1 April 2020)

============================

We begin today the two-week extension of the Movement Control Order (MCO) till April 14.

Although the outcome is still uncertain, the Covid-19 statistics during the MCO give hope that JP Morgan’s grim projection of Malaysia peaking at  6,300 Covid-19 cases in mid-April  may be  proven wrong.

Apart from March 23rd and 26th where confirmed Covid-19 cases recorded daily increase of 212 and 235 cases respectively, the daily increase of confirmed cases in the past 17 days from March 15 have been below 200 cases.

There has been a good recovery rate, with another 58 Covid-19 patients discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, bringing the total recoveries to 537.

Although one death is too many in Malaysia, it is  significant that we have been able to keep the death rate low, although it has reached its highest of  1.55%, i.e. 43 deaths out of a total confirmed total of 2,766 cases.

We should aim to keep the death rate to below one per cent, which would mean we should be able  to keep the total death rate to below 100 cases in the current surge of the  Covid-19 pandemic.

The global total of confirmed Covid-19 cases now stand at 856,917, with 42,107 deaths and 177,141 recoveries.

Another grim milestone in the invisible global war against Covid-19 was reached in the last 24 hours with the global total of deaths passing 40.000 mark.

The latest data including the developments in the last 24 hours for Malaysia and the top 12 countries with confirmed Covid-19 cases  are as follows: (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/)

– US: 187,347 cases, 3860 deaths (2%)

– Italy: 105,792 cases, 12,428 deaths (11.75%)

– Spain: 95,923 cases, 8,464 deaths (8.8%)

– China: 81,518 cases, 3,305 deaths (4%)

– Germany 71,808  cases,m775 deaths (1.1%)

– France: 52,128 cases, 3,523 deaths (6.8%)

– Iran: 44,605 cases, 2,898 deaths (6.5%)

– UK: 25,150 cases, 1,789 deaths (7.1%)

– Switzerland: 16,605 cases, 433 deaths (2.6%)

– Turkey: 13,531 cases, 214 deaths (1.6%)

– Belgium: 12,775 cases, 705 deaths (5.5%)

– Netherlands: 12,595  cases, 1,039 deaths (8.2)

– Malaysia: 2,766 cases, 43 deaths (1.55%)

If there is no spike in exponential increase in the Covid-19 cases in the next two weeks, and if we can keep the death rate to below one per cent,  then Malaysia would be well on the way to win this phase of the Covid-19 war.

But Malaysians must accept a new fact of  life, that the war against Covid-19 is going to be a long,  protracted  dreary one, as until a vaccine against Covid-19 is invented in 12 – 18 months’ time, a  Covid-19 outbreak can always make a return with new infections.

The way we live and work has been changed by the Covid-19 pandemic, at least until a vaccine is invented.

With the beginning of the extension of the MCO today, Muhyiddin should also announce an economic rescue package for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and others missed out in the economic package last Friday, which was conceived to deal with the MCO but  not its extension,  as well as to  give top priority to public health financing.

I have received the following message which highlights the financial and economic catastrophe faced by the SMEs if they are not immediately bailed out by the government:

“If the lockdown continue until 30th April then I will be forced into early retirement by closing down my factory. Reason is I can’t afford to pay salary, rental, instalment, loan and zero collection n etc etc

“January work 17 days

“Because of CNY

“February work 20 days

“March work 13 days

“Because of lockdown

“April 0 days

“If lockdown continue

“Pay 4 months salary

“Only 50 days productive

“Should I take out my savings and pay salary. I am already 57…

“As I know a lot of SME is facing the same problem. My next door neighbor has 60 workers, 5 rented factories and some instalment paying machinery. He needs 300k every month. At 42 his 15 years of hard work is going to be wiped off if lockdown continues

“Msian normally give 60+ days credit. We haven’t collected the dec, Jan, Feb bills and the lockdown start. Supposing we start work in May, do you think the client can pay? This may drag till June or July before the payment comes in. How many SME can withstand until July. If the gomen doesn’t help us then we are finished

“Nobody is going to be spared. If your children have financial problem, are you going to help? so are your siblings…

”No matter how solid is your house, when your neighbor on fire you will also be burnt. When you throw a stone in the middle of the pond, eventually the ripple with reached you

“Hopefully the Government  will create a Stimulus Package for SME. If not

“God Blessed Msia

“Amen”.

An economic rescue package to bail out the SMEs must be Muhyiddin’s topmost priority and most urgent imperative if Malaysia is to see through both the public health and economic challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic to successfully re-start the Malaysian economy in the post-MCO era.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Wednesday, April 1, 2020)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 1 April 2020, 10:22 am and is filed under
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Muhyiddin should not delay in  announcing an economic rescue package for SMEs as top priority must also be given to ensure that Malaysia can win the war to restart the economic engine without suffering an economic catastrophe after winning the war against the resurgence of Covid-19 outbreak

Muhyiddin tidak boleh berlengah dalam mengumumkan satu pakej penyelamatan ekonomi untuk PKS memandangkan keutamaan harus diberikan kepada usaha melonjakkan ekonomi negara selepas kemenangan melawan wabak Covid-19

Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin tidak boleh berlengah lagi dan perlu mengumumkan satu pakej penyelamatan ekonomi untuk Perusahaan Kecil dan Sederhana memandangkan mereka kini menghadapi kesukaran dengan aliran tunai dan menjangkakan gangguan aliran tunai untuk sekurang-kurangnya tiga bulan yang akan datang kerana Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP).

Pakej penyelamatan ekonomi untuk PKS adalah teramat penting sekarang kerana kerajaan harus memberikan keutamaan kepada keberterusan dan keselamatan pekerjaan — yang merupakan punca pendapatan utama sebahagian besar rakyat Malaysia — dan juga dalam menghadapi cabaran besar untuk melonjakkan semula ekonomi negara pasca-PKP.

Keberterusan perniagaan adalah penting untuk daya tahan ekonomi dan kelestarian pekerjaan, sebab inilah kerajaan perlu memastikan perniagaan yang merupakan enjin kepada ekonomi negara boleh mengharungi wabak Covid-19 ini dengan selamat.

Muhyiddin tidak boleh berlengah dalam mengumumkan satu pakej penyelamatan ekonomi untuk PKS memandangkan keutamaan harus diberikan kepada usaha melonjakkan ekonomi negara selepas kemenangan melawan wabak Covid-19

Seluruh dunia sedang memerangi wabak ini dan cabaran yang dihadapi kita bukan sahaja untuk memenangi peperangan melawan Covid-19 tetapi untuk melonjakkan semula ekonomi negara selepas penularan wabak ini.

Saya berkongsi optimisme yang ditunjukkan oleh Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah yang mengatakan data yang dikutip oleh pihak Kementerian Kesihatan menunjukkan tanda-tanda awal yang mungkin PKP ini berjaya mengurangkan penularan Covid-19 dengan memutuskan rantaian penyebaran.

Seperti yang saya katakan semalam: “Selain daripada 23 dan 26 Mac di mana jumlah kes disahkan merekodkan peningkatan harian 212 dan 235 kes, kebanyakan jumlah peningkatan harian kekal berada di bawah paras 200 kes sehari.

“Kita juga mempunyai kadar penyembuhan yang agak baik, dengan 58 lagi pesakit Covid-19 dibenarkan pulang dari hospital dalam 24 jam yang lepas, membawa jumlah pemulihan kepada 537.

“Satu kematian yang boleh dielakkan sekalipun adalah terlalu tinggi adalah tinggi untuk kita, namun penting untuk kita sedar yang kita berjaya mengekalkan kadar kematian akibat ini di paras yang rendah, walaupun ia telah meningkat sedikit ke paras 1.55%; 43 kematian daripada sejumlah 2,766 kes positif.

“Kita perlu berusaha untuk mengekalkan kadar kematian akibat Covid-19 di bawah satu peratus, yang akan melihatkan kadar kematian keseluruhan kekal di bawah 100 kematian.”

Jika tidak ada sebarang peningkatan mendadak dalam jumlah harian kes positif baharu dan pendataran dalam jumlah peningkatan kes harian boleh dikekalkan pada tahap sedia ada, situasi terburuk Covid-19 mungkin telah berlalu untuk kita.

Dalam situasi ini, Malaysia akhirnya berjaya mengelakkan mimpi ngeri Covid-19 yang berlaku di tempat lain, terutamanya seperti di Eropah dan Amerika Syarikat.

Namun begitu, kita masih perlu memasuki fasa kemenangan dalam menentang wabak ini, memandangkan suatu hari kelak, jumlah kes positif global mungkin akan mencecah melepasi paras sejuta kes.

Data global terkini mengenai jumlah kes positif, kematian, dan kadar peratusan kematian daripada jumlah kes positif untuk 12 negara tertinggi dan Malaysia adalah seperti berikut:

– Global: 934,464 kes; 	47,175 kematian (5%)

– AS: 214,482 kes, 5,093 kematian (2.4%)

– Itali: 110,574 kes, 13,155 kematian (11.9%)

– Sepanyol: 104,118 kes, 9,387 kematian (9%)

– China: 81,554 kes, 3,312 kematian (4%)

– Jerman: 77,981 kes, 931 kematian (1.2%)

– Perancis: 56,989 kes, 4,032 kematian (7.1%)

– Iran: 47,593 kes, 3,036 kematian (6.4%)

– UK: 29,474 kes, 2,352 kematian (7.97%)

– Switzerland: 17,768 kes; 488 kematian (2.75%)

– Turki: 15,679 kes, 277 kematian (1.77%)

– Belgium: 13,964 kes, 828 kematian (5.9%)

– Belanda: 13.614 kes, 1,173 kematian (8.6)

– Malaysia 2,908 kes, 45 kematian (1.55%)

Sumber: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Sejumlah 27,635 kematian akibat Covid-19 di tiga negara teratas, Amerika Syarikat, Itali, dan Sepanyol adalah lebih daripada lapan kali lebih tinggi daripada 3,312 kematian di China.

Dengan Presiden Amerika Donald Trump — yang baru sahaja sebulan lepas mengatakan “virus ini sangat terkawal” — yang kini mengatakan hampir 200,000 rakyat Amerika mungkin akan terkorban akibat Covid-19 dan pihak berkuasa di UK yang menjangkakan 10,000 hingga 20,000 korban nyawa, situasi terburuk Covid-19 di peringkat global masih belum tiba.

(Kenyataan media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada hari Khamis 2 April 2020)

=============================

The Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should not delay in announcing an economic rescue package for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as they are very tight in cash flow and expect no cash inflow at least three months due to the month-long Movement Control Order (MCO).

An economic rescue package for the SMEs is urgent and imperative as  the government should give top priority to  the need for continuous and secured employment as well as income as well as to the unprecedented challenge of   how to restart the Malaysian economic engine after the MCO.

The  survival of businesses is the key to economic resilience and  employment sustainability, which is why the government  must ensure that businesses, being the engines of the economy, driver of growth and providers of employment, could survive the Covid-19 pandemic.

Muhyiddin should not delay in announcing an economic rescue package for SMEs as top priority must also be given to ensure that Malaysia can win the war to restart the economic engine without suffering an economic catastrophe after winning the war against the resurgence of Covid-19 outbreak.

The world is fighting a world war and our challenge and responsibility is to win not only the invisible global war against Covid-19 but to be able to restart the Malaysian economic engine without suffering an economic catastrophe after the Covid-19 pandemic.

I share the restrained optimism of the Health Director-General Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah that data collected by the Health Ministry shows an  early sign that the MCO  to  curb the spread of Covid-19 by breaking the chain of infection  is working.

As I said yesterday:
“Apart from March 23rd and 26th where confirmed Covid-19 cases recorded daily increase of 212 and 235 cases respectively, the daily increase of confirmed cases in the past 17 days from March 15 have been below 200 cases.

“There has been a good recovery rate, with another 58 Covid-19 patients discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, bringing the total recoveries to 537.

“Although one death is too many in Malaysia, it is  significant that we have been able to keep the death rate low, although it has reached its highest of 1.55%, i.e. 43 deaths out of a total confirmed total of 2,766 cases.

“We should aim to keep the death rate to below one per cent, which would mean we should be able  to keep the total death rate to below 100 cases in the current surge of the  Covid-19 pandemic.”

If there is no new spike in the daily  increase of Covid-19 cases, and the plateau in increases of Covid-19 cases could be sustained, the worst in the resurgence  of Covid-19 may be over.

Malaysia will then be spared the nightmare of the Covid-19 pandemic which is afflicting other part of the world, particularly in Europe and the United States.

Mankind has still to enter the winning phase of the invisible global war against Covid-19 pandemic, as sometime today, the grim milestone of total global confirmed cases of Covid-19 would race past the million mark.

The latest global data on the invisible war against the Covid-19 pandemic in the last 24 hours for Malaysia and the top 12 countries cases with confirmed Covid-19 cases are as follows: (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/)

– Global: 934,464 cases, 47,175 deaths (5%)

– US: 214,482 cases, 5,093 deaths (2.4%)

– Italy: 110,574 cases, 13,155 deaths (11.9%)

– Spain: 104,118 cases, 9,387 deaths (9%)

– China: 81,554 cases, 3,312 deaths (4%)

– Germany: 77,981 cases, 931 deaths (1.2%)

– France: 56,989 cases, 4,032 deaths (7.1%)

– Iran: 47,593 cases, 3,036  deaths (6.4%)

– UK: 29,474 cases, 2,352 deaths (7.97%)

– Switzerland: 17,768 cases; 488 deaths (2.75%)

– Turkey: 15,679 cases, 277 deaths (1.77%)

– Belgium: 13,964 cases, 828 deaths (5.9%)

– Netherlands: 13.614 cases, 1,173  deaths (8.6)

– Malaysia: 2,908 cases, 45 deaths (1.55%)

The total of 27,635 Covid-19 deaths in the top three countries, United States, Italy and Spain of 27,635  is more than eight times the total death toll of 3,312 in  China.

With  the American Prersident Donald Trump – who just one month ago claimed the virus was “very much under control” –  now saying 200,000 Americans could die from Covid-19, and the UK authorities expecting a death toll of between 10,000- 20,000, the worst of the nightmare of the global invisible war against Covid-19 is yet to come.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Thursday, 2nd April 2020)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 2 April 2020, 11:41 am and is filed under
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Government should explore the possibility of holding an emergency “virtual” Parliament as it is imperative that  Malaysia adopts a  “whatever it takes” strategy not only to  win the Covid 19 war but to survive the  post-coronavirus pandemic economics

Kerajaan patut mempertimbangkan untuk mengadakan persidangan khas Parlimen “secara maya” kerana Malaysia perlu menggunakan strategi “melakukan apa sahaja” untuk memenangi peperangan Covid-19 dan mengharungi era ekonomi pasca-Covid-19

Parlimen Malaysia harus mempertimbangkan kemungkinan untuk mengadakan persidangan khas Parlimen “secara maya kerana Malaysia perlu menggunakan strategi “melakukan apa sahaja” untuk memenangi peperangan melawan Covid-19 dan mengharungi era ekonomi pasca-Covid-19.

Dalam tempoh 24 jam yang lepas, sekurang-kurangnya sembilan peristiwa baharu telah direkodkan dalam peperangan global melawan wabak Covid-19, menunjukkan yang perjalanan ini masih lagi panjang. Sembilan peristiwa ini adalah:

1. 2. Di peringkat dunia kita telah melepasi paras sejuta kes Covid-19 yang disahkan. Penularan virus ini mengambil 67 hari daripada kes pertama ke 100,000 kes yang pertama, 11 ke 100,000 kes kedua, empat hari ke 100,000 kes ketiga, tiga hari ke 100,000 kes ke empat dua hari ke 100,000 kes kelima, sehari untuk 100,000 kes keenam, dua hari untuk 100,000 kes ketujuh, dan satu hari untuk kes 100,000 kes kelapan dan satu hari juga untuk 100,000 kes kesembilan. Jumlah keseluruhan kes global kini berada di paras 1,007,625 kes.

Jumlah korban nyawa global telah melepasi paras 50,000 kematian, kini mengorbankan 52,607 nyawa.

3. Dengan peningkatan mendadak sepanjang 10 hari yang lepas di Amerika Syarikat, yang bermula pada peningkatan harian sebanyak 10,831 kes sehari, kepada 26,582 kes sehari ke sejumlah keseleluruhan 175,434 kes, Amerika kini mempunyai 240,344 kes disahkan, lebih tiga kali ganda kes yang disahkan di China yang kini mempunyai 81,589 kes.

4. Jumlah kematian di tiga negara teratas akibat Covid-19 kini menghampiri 30,000 kematian, hampir sembilan kali lebih banyak daripada 3,318 kematian di China.

5. Negeri New York di AS mempunyai lebih banyak kes positif berbanding dengan China, New York kini mempunyai 92,381 kes.

6. Perancis merekodkan kematian harian tertinggi dengan 1,355 kematian semalam.

7. Itali merekodkan peratusan kematian tertinggi, 12% dengan 13,915 kematian daripada sejumlah 115,242 kes positif. Dalam seminggu yang lepas sahaja, hampir seorang rakyat Itali mati setiap dua minit setengah. Itali diikuti oleh Sepanyol di tempat kedua dengan peratusan kematian 9.15% dan Perancis dengan kadar kematian 9.11%. Di Sepanyol, sebuah gelanggang ais di dalam pusat membeli belah di Madrid telah dijadikan rumah mayat sementara.

8. Kadar kematian di Indonesia adalah 9.49% dengar 170 kematian manakala kadar kematian di Filipina kadar kematian mereka adalah 4.1% dengan 107 kematian.

9. Jerman telah menyertai Amerika Syarikat, Itali dan Sepanyol dengan mempunyai lebih banyak kes daripada China. Kini terdapat 84,688 kes di Jerman.

Peristiwa-peristiwa suram ini juga merupakan satu peringatan kepada kerajaan Malaysia untuk mengguna pakai satu strategi “melakukan apa sahaja” bukan sahaja untuk memenangi peperangan melawan wabak Covid-19 tetapi juga untuk mengharungi era ekonomi pasca-Covid-19.

Penangguhan dalam pengumuman pakej penyelamatan ekonomi untuk perusahaan kecil dan sederhana adalah satu contoh di mana Kerajaan masih belum mengguna pakai strategi ini bagi menghadapi krisis yang berlaku pada skala yang belum pernah kita lalui sebelum ini.

Seperti yang dituliskan oleh penulis ekonomi daripada Amerika, Derek Thompson mengenai ‘empat peraturan ekonomi bencana wabak’:

Tidak perlu ada pilihan di antara “penyelamatan ekonomi ataupun penyelamatan nyawa orang ramai”.

Berikan rakyat gaji sara hidup untuk membolehkan mereka berhenti bekerja.

Bina mesin masa untuk syarikat.

Perniagaan Amerika masa kini adalah sains.

Setiausaha Agung Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu Antonio Guterres telah menyeru untuk seluruh dunia “bersedia untuk menghadapi situasi terburuk dan dalam pada masa yang sama lakukan yang terbaik untuk mengelakkannya”.

Beliau memberikan tiga perkara tindakan, berdasarkan sains, solidariti, dan polisi pintar:

Pertama, sekat penularan Covid-19.

Kedua, tangani bencana ekonomi dan sosial yang disebabkan oleh wabak ini; dan

Ketiga, pulih dengan lebih baik.

Kita kini berada dalam situasi luar biasa yang memerlukan penyelesaian yang luar biasa. Dalam peperangan menentang Covid-19 ini, kerajaan harus meletakkan ekonomi negara ke dalam keadaan koma, tetapi pada masa yang sama memastikan “pesakitnya” kekal hidup.

Dalam kegawatan ekonomi yang biasa, strategi biasa adalah untuk meningkatkan permintaan agregat. Tetapi di dalam ekonomi wabak, sekurang-kurangnya dalam tempoh jangka masa terdekat, objektif kerajaan seharusnya bukanlah untuk meningkatkan permintaan agregat tetapi untuk membekukan ekonomi negara bagi membolehkan rakyat kekal berada di rumah.

Cabarannya ialah bagaimanakah negara boleh menghadapi ekonomi wabak ini, yang berkemungkinan untuk muncul kembali pada bila-bila masa, sehinggalah vaksin dicipta yang mungkin akan memakan tempoh 12 hingga 18 bulan.

Derek Thompson merumuskan tulisan beliau:

“Kita perlu memastikan rakyat mendapat wang, jika tidak mereka akan mati. Kita perlu berikan syarikat dan perniagaan wang, jika tidak mereka juga akan mati. Tetapi jika kita tidak buka laluan kepada petugas kesihatan untuk merawat pesakit, ataupun untuk saintis bertungkus lumus mencari penawar, rakyat dan syarikat juga akan mati akhirnya. Tidak ada lagi ‘ekonomi normal’ sehinggalah kita dapat, dengan pasti, membendung virus ini. Tetapi jika kita tidak dapat menbendung virus ini dengan cepat, kita mungkin tidak akan ada apa-apa yang normal untuk kita kembali kepadanya”

(Kenyataan media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada hari Jumaat 3 April 2020)

=============================

The Malaysian Parliament should explore the possibility of holding an emergency “virtual” Parliament as it is imperative that Malaysia adopts a “whatever it takes” strategy  not only to win the Covid-19 war but to survive the post-coronavirus pandemic economics.

In the past 24 hours, at least nine new grim milestones in the invisible global war against the Covid-19 pandemic had been reached which  highlight that  the world has still a long way to go if we are to survive the pandemic. These nine grim milestones are;

1. The world has surpassed the million mark in the global total of confirmed cases of Covid-19. It took 67 days from the first reported case to reach 100,000 cases, 11 days for second 100,000 cases, four days for the third 100,000 cases, three days for the fourth 100,000 cases, two days for the fifth 100,000 cases,  one day for the sixth 100,000, two days for the seventh 100,000, a day each for the eighth and ninth 100,000  cases.  Now the global total of confirmed cases stand at 1,007,625.

2. The global death toll has raced past the 50,000-mark to reach  52,607.

3. In ten days of double-digit exponential increase of Covid-19 cases, from  a daily increase of 10,831 on March 25 to 26,582 cases to total 175,434 cases, the United States has reached a total of 240,344 cases, more than three times China’s total Covid-19 cases which now stand at 81,589 cases.

4. The grand total of Covid-19 deaths in the three top countries of Italy, Spain and United States is close to 30,000 or nine times the total death toll in China of 3,318.

5. New York in United States alone has more Covid-19 cases than China’s total of 81,589 cases – with  92,381 confirmed cases in New York state.

6. France registered the highest daily death increase of 1,355 deaths yesterday.

7. Italy recorded  the highest percentage of death toll of confirmed Covid-19 cases – 12% as a result of 13,915 deaths out of a total of 115,242 confirmed cases. For the last one week, one Italian died of Covid-19 every two-and-half minutes.  Italy is followed by Spain, which  has  a death toll of 9.15% and  France with 9.11%.  In Spain, an ice rink in a  Madrid shopping mall, the Ice Palace which has a capacity for 1,800 skaters, has been turned into a temporary morgue, while in  France, a hall at the world’s largest wholesale food market near Paris has being converted into a temporary mortuary.

8. Death rate of 9.49%  in Indonesia  with 170 deaths and 4.1% in the Philippines with 107 deaths.

9. Germany joining United States, Italy and Spain to surpass China with 84,688 cases as the world’s top four countries with the most Covid-19 cases  as compared to China’s total of 81,589 cases.

These grim milestones are also grim reminders of the urgent need for the Malaysian government to adopt a “whatever it takes” strategy not only to  win the Covid-19 war but to survive the post-coronavirus pandemic economics.

The delay in announcing an economic rescue package for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is an example that the Malaysian government has still to adopt a “whatever it takes” strategy to face the  unprecedented crisis confronting the country  to both  save lives and livelihoods.

An American economics writer, Derek Thompson  has written about the “four rules of pandemic economics”, namely: –

1. “Save the economy or save lives” is a false choice.

2. Pay people a living wage to stop working.

3. Build companies a time machine.

4. The business of America is now science.

The United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres has called on the world
“to prepare for the worst and do everything to avoid it”.

He issued a three-point call to action, based on science, solidarity and smart policies:

First, suppress transmission of Covid-19.

Second, tackle the devastating social and economic dimensions of the crisis; and

Third, recover better.

We are in an extraordinarily crisis which calls for extraordinary solutions.  In the war against Covid 19, governments have to put the economy  into an artificial coma but must keep the patient alive.

In a normal recession, the answer is to boost demand. But in  pandemic economics, at least in the short-run, the objective is not to boost demand but to freeze the economy and for the people
“stay in and hold on”.

The challenge is how nations can  survive the pandemic economics with the possibility of a resurgence of Covid-19, until a vaccine  is invented in 12 – 18 months’ time.

As Derek Thompson concluded his article:

“We need to get people money, or they will die. We need to get companies cash, or they will die. But if we don’t clear the way for health-care workers to treat the sick, or for scientists to treat the disease, people and companies are going to die, anyway. There is no such thing as a normal economy until we contain the virus. But if we can’t contain the virus quickly, we might not have anything normal to return to.”

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Friday, 3rd April 2020)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 3 April 2020, 10:01 am and is filed under
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Call on government to ramp up Covid-19 testing in Malaysia to introduce  mass testing freely and widely available to all Malaysians  as  a vital post-MCO strategy to revive the Malaysian economic engine

Seruan kepada Kerajaan untuk meningkatkan jumlah ujian Covid-19 di Malaysia dengan menyediakan ujian besar-besaran secara percuma dan meluas kepada semua rakyat Malaysia sebagai sebahagian daripada strategi pasca-PKP untuk melonjakkan semula ekonomi negara

Malaysia perlu mempelajari amalan terbaik daripada negara lain seperti Korea Selatan, Singapura, dan China dalam usaha memerangi wabak Covid-19 untuk mengelakkan kejadian yang tidak diingini yang sedang melanda negara-negara seperti Itali, Sepanyol, Perancis, United Kingdom dan Amerika Syarikat daripada berlaku di negara kita.

Terdapat banyak perjuangan yang perlu dimenangi dalam usaha melawan wabak ini. Pertama sekali, peperangan maklumat — untuk memastikan rakyat Malaysia memahami mengapa perlunya ekonomi dan kehidupan negara dihentikan sementara untuk mengekang penyebaran wabak ini dengan memutuskan rantaian penyebaran.

Penting untuk disedari yang Nepal menguat kuasakan perintah berkurung pada 24 Mac, apabila mereka merekodkan kes kedua Covid-19 mereka. Sebelas hari kemudian, setakat 3 April, Nepal mempunyai enam kes dengan kosong kematian.

Situasinya berbeza di beberapa negara lain, walaupun dengan pelbagai bentuk perintah berkurung, kes-kes Covid-19 naik dengan mendadak bermula 24 Mac — Itali (dengan 63,927 kes dan 6,077 kematian pada 24 Mac, kepada 119,827 kes dan 14,681 kematian setakat ini), Sepanyol (35,136 kes dan 2,311 kematian pada 24 Mac, kepada 117,710 kes dan 11,009 kematian setakat ini), Perancis (19,856 kes dan 860 kematian pada 24 Mac, kepada 64,338 kes dan 6,507 kematian, United Kingdom (6,650 kes dan 335 kematian pada 24 Mac, kepada 38,168 kes dengan 3,605 kematian), dan Amerika Syarikat (42,187 kes dengan 554 kematian kepada 272,760 kes dan 6,991 kematian setakat ini).

Semalam, Singapura mengumumkan perintah kawalan pergerakan apabila kes Covid-19 di negara tersebut meningkat daripada 1,049 kes kepada 1,114 kes dan daripada 4 kematian kepada 5 kematian dalam tempoh 24 jam.

Perang melawan Covid-19 adalah satu siri beberapa peperangan, baik di peringkat dalam negara mahupun global.

Pertama, kita mesti memenangi peperangan maklumat, bukan sahaja untuk menewaskan kebanjiran berita palsu mengenai Covid-19, tetapi yang lebih penting lagi, untuk memastikan rakyat Malaysia memahami bahawa wabak ini bukanlah wabak yang biasa tetapi satu ancaman besar terhadap kesihatan, kehidupan, dan sistem kesihatan awam negara dan pada dalam masa yang sama, memberikan ancaman terhadap kelangsungan ekonomi negara kita.

Kedua, kita perlu memenangi peperangan perang kesihatan awam melawan Covid-19 untuk membendung penyebaran virus ini. Sehingga vaksin berjaya dicipta, yang mungkin akan mengambil masa selama 12 sehingga 18 bulan, pembatasan sosial melalui perintah berkurung adalah satu-satunya untuk memutuskan rantaian jangkitan dan mendatarkan lengkungan taburan jangkitan.

Kita perlu meningkatkan keupayaan fasiliti ujian Covid-19 untuk mengenal pasti mereka yang mempunyai simptom, menjejaki semua orang yang mempunyai kontak dengannya, dan mengasingkan mereka sehingga mereka tidak lagi mempunyai risiko penyebaran, di samping pada masa yang sama meningkatkan jumlah alat bantuan pernafasan dan katil hospital.

Korea Selatan adalah antara negara yang paling agresif dari segi menguji dan menyaring penyebaran wabak ini. Negara tersebut memberikan keutamaan kepada saringan dan pengasingan individu yang disahkan positif dan membangunkan kapasiti untuk hampir 15,000 ujian sehari. Setakat ini Korea Selatan telah menjalankan lebih daripada 300,000 ujian, tanpa sebarang bayaran dikenakan, termasuklah melalui ujian saringan pandu-lalu yang kini sedang ditiru di negara lain.

Keupayaan ujian saringan di Malaysia kini telah ditingkatkan kepada 11,500 ujian sehari dan kita sedang berusaha untuk membolehkan sehingga 16,500 ujian sehari. Pada permulaan penularan wabak ini, keupayaan ujian saringan harian kita hanyalah 3,500 ujian sehari.

Sebagai sebahagian daripada strategi “melakukan apa sahaja” untuk memenangi peperangan melawan wabak Covid-19 ini, kerajaan haruslah meningkatkan keupayaan ujian saringan harian dalam negara untuk melakukan ujian saringan besar-besaran secara percuma dengan meluas kepada semua rakyat Malaysia supaya ujian besar-besaran ini menjadi sebahagian daripada strategi pasca-Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) kita untuk menghidupkan semula ekonomi negara.

Perang ketiga yang kita perlu hadapi adalah untuk mengharungi ekonomi wabak pasca-PKP.

Di Jerman, ekonomi wabak Covid-19 telah menyebabkan hampir setengah juta syarikat di negara tersebut meletakkan pekerja mereka di bawah skim pekerjaan pendek tempoh — yang dikenali sebagai “Kurzarbeit” — untuk mengurangkan kos penggajian mereka.

Skim pekerjaan pendek tempoh ini berfungsi dengan baik bagi mengurangkan pemberhentian besar-besaran semasa krisis kewangan 2008. Di bawah skim ini, waktu bekerja dikurangkan secara drastik tetapi para pekerja masih secara rasminya dikira sebagai bekerja dengan hampir dua pertiga daripada gaji mereka dibiaya oleh kerajaan.

Para pekerja akan terus mendapat hampir dua pertiga daripada pendapatan mereka sekalipun jika mereka tidak bekerja, dan syarikat yang menggajikan mereka dapat menjimatkan kos penggajian disaat kesukaran ekonomi.

Kerajaan Jerman mengjangkakan sehingga 2.35 juta rakyat mereka akan memohon “Kurzarbeitergeld” dalam wabak Covid-19 ini, yang mungkin akan memerlukan lebih daripada 10 bilion Euro daripada Pejabat Buruh Persekutuan Jerman.

Dalam sistem ekonomi wabak di United Kingdom pula, kerajaan mereka akan menanggung sehingga 80% kos penggajian pekerja sehingga ke had 2500 pound sebulan.

Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin perlu mempertimbangkan dasar-dasar yang baik seperti ini sebagai sebahagian daripada bahagian kedua pakej penyelamatan ekonomi beliau, yang perlu memberikan keutamaan kepada penyelamatan perusahaan kecil dan sederhana (PKS) yang tidak diberikan perhatian dalam pakej penyelamatan pertama beliau.

(Kenyataan media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada hari Sabtu 4 April 2020)

=============================

Malaysia  must from learn from the best practices of other countries like South Korea, Singapore and China in the invisible war against the Covid-19 pandemic so as not to repeat the nightmares that  other countries like Italy, Spain, France, United Kingdom and United States are undergoing.

There are many battles to be won in the Covid-19 pandemic. The first one is the information war –  to make Malaysians understand why it is  necessary to put the Malaysian economy and society in a lock-down  to halt the spread of Covid-19 by breaking the chain of transmission of the virus.

It is worth noting that Nepal imposed a full lock-down on March 24 when it had a  second case of Covid 19. Eleven  days later on April 3,  it has six confirmed cases but no death.

In contrast, despite various forms of lock-downs, we have seen Covid-19 cases spreading explosively  in several countries from  March 24, namely  –   Italy (63,927 cases with 6,077 deaths on March 24 to 119,827 with 14,681 deaths), Spain (35,136 cases with 2,311 deaths to 117,710 cases with 11,009 deaths), France (19,856 cases with 860 deaths to 64,338 cases with 6,507 deaths), United Kingdom (6,650 cases with 335 deaths to 38,168 cases with 3,605 deaths) and United States (42,187 cases with 554 deaths to 272,760 cases with 6,991 deaths).

Singapore yesterday announced a month-long partial lock-down when its Covid-19 data increased from 1,049 cases and 4 deaths (death rate of 0.4%) the previous 24 hours to 1,114 cases and 5 deaths (death rate of 0.45%).

The Covid-19 pandemic is a series of wars, both in Malaysia and on a global scale.

First, we must win the information war  not only to  defeat the deluge of fake news about  the Covid-19 pandemic, but even more important, to  enable Malaysians to understand that the Covid-19 pandemic is not an ordinary virus outbreak, but an existential threat to our health,  lives and the public health system as well as   to the very economic survival of the nation.

Second, we must win the public health war against Covid-19, to contain the transmission of the novel coronavirus. Until a vaccine against Covid-19 is developed in 12 – 18 months’ time, social distancing through lock-down is the only way to break the chain of transmission and “flatten the curve”.

We must boost the Covid-19 testing facilities to track down people with symptoms, identify their contacts and quarantine  them until they are  no longer infectious, as well as ramping up the number of ventilators and hospital beds.

South Korea had been among the most aggressive when it comes to testing. The  country prioritised identifying and isolating people testing positive for the disease, and developed capacity to run about 15,000 diagnostic tests a day. It has conducted more than 300,000 tests to date, free of charge, including in drive-through testing booths since replicated elsewhere.

Malaysia’s Covid-19 testing capability is now increased to 11,500 a day and aims to reach 16,500 a day. When the Covid-19 outbreak began, Malaysia’s testing capability was only at 3,500 a day.

As part of a “whatever it takes” approach to win the invisible war against Covid-19, the government should immediately ramp up Covid-19 testing in Malaysia to introduce mass testing  freely and widely available to all Malaysians  so that Covid-19 mass testing becomes a  vital post-Movement Control Order (MCO) strategy to revive the Malaysian economic engine.

The  third  war is for Malaysia  to survive  and win the post-MCO coronavirus pandemic economics.

In Germany, Covid-19 pandemic economics will see almost half a million companies in Germany sending  their staff on short-term working schemes — known as “Kurzarbeit” — to trim their payroll costs with immediate effect.

Short-term working schemes worked well as a tool to prevent massive layoffs during the last financial crisis in 2008. It sends people home or slashes their hours substantially, but keeps them officially employed with the state funding around two-thirds of their salary.

Essentially, workers get as much as two-thirds of their pay even if they don’t work. And the company is not burdened by staff costs in times of severe economic stress.

The German government expects some 2.35 million people to be drawing “Kurzarbeitergeld”  during the Covid pandemic, which could cost the German Federal Labor Office more than 10 billion euros.

In  United Kingdom pandemic economics, the government is covering 80 per cent of workers’ pay, up to 2,500 pounds a month.

The  Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, should give serious consideration to  these good  practices for the Covid-19 pandemic economics  for his long-awaited second economic rescue package, which should prioritise the government’s rescue of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) omitted in his first rescue package.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Saturday, 4th April 2020)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 4 April 2020, 9:56 am and is filed under
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Ministers should  drop their insouciant and indifferent attitude and adopt the “Act Fast and Do Whatever It Takes” motto to deal with  the Covid-19 pandemic

Jemaah Menteri perlu berhenti bersikap acuh tak acuh dan tidak endah, sekali gus mengguna pakai moto “Bertindak Pantas dan Lakukan Apa Sahaja” bagi menangani wabak Covid-19

Lebih seminggu yang lalu, saya telah mencadangkan kepada Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin supaya mengguna pakai cogan kata atau moto “Bertindak Pantas dan Lakukan Apa Sahaja” bagi menangani pandemik Covid-19.

Atas semangat “Bertindak Pantas dan Lakukan Apa Sahaja” bagi mengatasi cabaran-cabaran yang belum pernah terjadi sebelum ini pada waktu yang luar biasa ekoran wabak Covid-19, saya telah mencadangkan kepada Perdana Menteri untuk membuat siaran langsung setiap hari bagi memaklumkan kepada rakyat berhubung perkembangan usaha melawan Covid-19 selain menyarankan Kabinet untuk bermesyuarat setiap hari sehingga peperangan melawan Covid-19 dimenangi.

Oleh itu, saya terkejut apabila membaca laporan berita oleh Bernama yang memetik kenyataan Menteri Kewangan, Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Aziz sebagai berkata bahawa Kementerian Kewangan sedang dalam fasa memperhalusi sebuah pakej rangsangan khas bagi perusahaan kecil dan sederhana (PKS) untuk meringankan kesukaran yang dialami oleh industri tersebut. Beliau turut memaklumkan bahawa perkara itu akan dibawa ke peringkat Kabinet pada minggu hadapan.

Sikap acuh tak acuh dan tidak endah yang ditunjukkan Menteri Kabinet dalam hal ini sangat bertentangan dengan semangat “Bertindak Pantas dan Lakukan Apa Sahaja” bagi menangani cabaran yang terjadi ekoran pandemik Covid-19 — mereka bertindak seolah-olah negara tidak berdepan sebarang krisis!

Sejak Muhyiddin mengumumkan pakej rangsangan ekonomi bernilai RM250 bilion pada 27 Mac lalu, pengusaha PKS yang terjejas ekoran krisis wabak ini mengharapkan dan ternanti-nanti bilakah kerajaan akan mengumumkan pakej ekonomi bagi membantu mereka.

Mengapa Menteri Kabinet tidak boleh bermesyuarat hari ini atau esok bagi meluluskan pakej rangsangan ekonomi untuk PKS tersebut?

Saya justeru menggesa semua Menteri Kabinet agar tidak bersikap acuh tak acuh dan tidak endah, sekali gus sedar bahawa situasi luar biasa dan genting seperti ini memerlukan penyelesaian yang luar biasa. Mereka harus mengguna pakai moto “Bertindak Pantas dan Lakukan Apa Sahaja” untuk menangani sebarang cabaran yang timbul ekoran pandemik Covid-19.

Kehidupan majoriti rakyat biasa berubah sama sekali ekoran pandemik Covid-19. Mengapa Menteri Kabinet bertindak seolah-olah tidak endah dan acuh tak acuh sebegitu sekali?

Situasi cemas masih menyelubungi persoalan tentang sama ada Malaysia mampu mengharungi gelombang kedua pandemik Covid-19, yang mana tidak akan terjadi sekiranya setiap daripada kita mengguna pakai moto “Bertindak Pantas dan Lakukan Apa Sahaja”.

Sekalipun kita mampu mengharungi gelombang kedua pandemik Covid-19, kita perlulah bersiap sedia untuk menghadapi sebarang kemungkinan kemunculan semula wabak tersebut.

Saya berasa amat bimbang apabila mendengar pengumuman Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah pada Khamis lalu, bahawa terdapat peningkatan kes positif Covid-19 sebanyak 208 kes dalam tempoh 24 jam menjadikan jumlah keseluruhan kes positif Covid-19 sebanyak 3,116 kes, dan terdapat tiga lagi kematian membawa jumlah kematian kini kepada 50.

Ini merupakan kali ketiga jumlah kes baharu melebihi angka 200, dengan kadar kematian mencapai tahap tertinggi iaitu 1.6%.

Data Covid-19 di Malaysia untuk 24 jam yang lepas yang telah diumumkan semalam — dengan pertambahan kes positif Covid-19 iaitu sebanyak 217 kes menjadikan jumlah keseluruhan kes sebanyak 3,333 kes dengan satu kematian — masih lagi tinggi meskipun kadar kematian telah berkurang sedikit kepada 1.59%.

Di seluruh dunia, pandemik Covid-19 masih terus mencanak — angka kes di seluruh dunia mencapai angka 1,096,593 dengan 58,645 kematian, dengan UK dan Amerika Syarikat menjadi pusat terbaharu pandemik dunia. Semalam sahaja, Amerika Syarikat mencipta rekod peningkatan kes positif Covid-19 sebanyak 32,352 kes dalam tempoh sehari — menjadikan jumlah keseluruhan kes sebanyak 272,760 kes.

Itali pula merekodkan 119,827 kes positif Covid-19 dengan 14,682 kematian. Bagaimanapun, terdapat kajian yang mengatakan jumlah sebenar rakyat Itali yang dijangkiti Covid-19 mungkin sudah mencapai hampir 5 juta orang dengan jumlah kematian dianggarkan sekitar 60,000.

Sehubungan itu, tidak ada sebab lagi untuk Menteri Kabinet tidak bertindak serius dalam menghadapi wabak ini. Mereka juga harus segera mengguna pakai sikap “Bertindak Pantas dan Lakukan Apa Sahaja”, sekali gus membuang sikap acuh tak acuh dalam berdepan Covid-19.

(Kenyataan Media (2) oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada Sabtu, 4 April 2020)

===========================================

More than a week ago, I suggested that the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should implement a new motto of “Act Fast and Do Whatever It Takes” to lead the country through the multiple information, health and economic crisis in the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the “Act Fast and Do Whatever It Takes” spirit to overcome the unprecedented challenges in the extraordinary times  posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, I had suggested daily live telecasts by the Prime Minister on the latest  Covid-19 developments and daily Cabinet meetings until the multiple wars against

Covid-19 are won.

I was shocked therefore to read of a Bernama report quoting the Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Aziz  saying that the Finance Ministry was in the midst of refining a special stimulus package for the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to ease their current difficulties, and that the  proposed package would be brought up at the cabinet level next week.

This insouciant and indifferent attitude of the Cabinet Ministers  is totally against the “Act Fast and Do Whatever It Takes” motto to resolve the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, as if we are living in ordinary normal times!

Since Muhyiddin’s RM250 billion economic stimulus package on 27th March, SMEs had been crying and  waiting every day for an economic rescue package for them as they had been omitted and left to fend for themselves.

Why can’t the Cabinet meet today or tomorrow to approve the economic rescue package for SMEs?

I call on all Ministers to drop their insouciant and indifferent attitude and to  realise that “extraordinary times require extraordinary action”. They should adopt the “Act Fast and Do Whatever It Takes” motto to deal with the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The lives of ordinary Malaysians have been changed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Why should Ministers behave as if they could continue with their indifferent, nonchalant and insouciant ways?

It is still touch-and-go whether Malaysia has weathered the worst of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, an outbreak which Malaysia should have been spared if everyone had adopted an “Act Fast and Do Whatever It Takes” motto.

Even if we could weather the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, we must be prepared for any resurgence of Covid-19.

I was concerned when the Health Director-General Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah  announced on Thursday that there had been an increase of 208 infections in the previous 24 hours to reach a total of 3,116 cases, and that three more had died to bring the death toll to 50.

This would be the third time that  the number of new cases had exceeded 200, with the death rate  reaching its highest at  1.6%.

The Covid-19 data in Malaysia for the past 24 hours as announced yesterday, with an increase of 217 Covid-19  cases to bring the total to 3,333 cases  with one new death,  is still high although the death rate had come down a little bit to  1.59%.

Worldwide, the Covid-19 pandemic is still raging on – reaching a global total of 1,096,593 cases and 58,645 deaths, with United Kingdom and United States the two new epicentres  still to reach their peak.

Yesterday alone, the United States reached a new grim milestone of recording a single-day increase of 32,352 cases  – reaching  a total of 272,760 cases.

Italy has registered 119,827 confirmed Covid-19 cases and  14,681 deaths. There is however a study in Italy which reported that the real number of Covid-19 cases in the country could be 5 million cases and that the real number of deaths could be around 60,000.

There is no reason  why our Ministers should not  be serious about the Covid-19 pandemic and why they should not  immediately adopt the “Act Fast and Do Whatever It Takes” attitude and drop all insouciant and indifferent postures.

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit  Siang on Saturday, 4th April 2020)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 4 April 2020, 11:47 am and is filed under
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Support for Prisons Director-General’s proposal that MCO violators should not be jailed because of Covid-19 pandemic

Sokongan kepada cadangan Ketua Pengarah Penjara supaya pesalah PKP tidak dipenjarakan kerana wabak Covid-19 — dan supaya para banduan diberikan pelepasan awal untuk mengurangkan kesesakan di penjara dan mengelakkan penularan wabak Covid-19 dalam penjara

Peningkatan kes positif Covid-19 pada kadar lebih daripada 100,000 dalam tempoh 24 jam yang lepas merupakan satu peringatan bahawa ekonomi negara tidak boleh berkembang dalam era pasca-Covid-19 jika negara lain juga tidak berkembang.

Jumlah keseluruhan kes positif Covid-19 kini berada di paras 1,200,372, meningkat daripada 1,091,215 kes semalam.

Amerika Syarikat mendahului dalam penularan wabak ini, dengan dua rekod baharu setakat semalam; peningkatan lebih daripada 30,000 kes sehari (32,125 kes) yang membawa jumlah keseluruhan di negara tersebut kepada 310,266 kes dan merekodkan lebih daripada seribu kematian (1,037 kematian) yang membawa kepada 8,441 kematian sejak permulaan penularan wabak ini.

Amerika Syarikat berada di tempat ketiga di peringkat global dari segi jumlah kematian, ia kini berada di belakang Itali dan Sepanyol yang masing-masing mempunyai 15,362 dan 11,947 kematian. Jumlah kematian daripada tiga negara ini sahaja mencapai paras 35,750 kematian — hampir sebelas kali ganda kematian yang dilaporkan di negara China.

Berikut adalah data untuk 12 negara dengan kes Covid-19 tertinggi (yang juga merupakan 12 negara dengan kematian tertinggi) dan Malaysia:

AS: 310,284 kes; 8,452 kematian (2.7%)

Sepanyol: 126,168 kes; 	11,947 kematian (9.47%)

Italy: 124,632 kes; 15,362 kematian (12.3%)

Jerman: 96,092 kes; 1,444 kematian (1.5%)

Perancis: 89,953 kes; 7,560 kematian (8.4%)

China: 81,639 kes; 3,326 kematian (4.07%)

Iran: 55,743 kes; 3,452 kematian (6.2%)

UK: 41,903 kes; 4,313 kematian (10.3%)

Turki: 23,934 kes; 501 kematian (2.09%)

Switzerland: 20,505 kes; 666 kematian (3.25%)

Belgium: 18,431 kes; 1,283 kematian (6.96%)

Belanda: 16,627 kes; 1,651 kematian (9.9%)

Malaysia: 3,483 kes; 57 kematian (1.64%)

Covid-19 memberikan dunia satu gambaran yang suram, tetapi kita perlu melakukan apa sahaja yang boleh dilakukan untuk belajar daripada amalan terbaik dari negara-negara lain untuk memenangi peperangan melawan wabak Covid-19 ini dan juga memenangi perjuangan mengharungi ekonomi yang dilanda bencana wabak.

Saya menyokong cadangan yang diberikan oleh Ketua Pengarah Penjara Zulkifli Omar supaya pihak mahkamah berhenti memenjarakan mereka yang ingkar dengan perintah kawalan pergerakan (PKP) kerana wabak Covid-19 ini jugalah yang telah menyebabkan PKP dikuat kuasakan.

Pihak mahkamah perlu bertindak tegas terhadap mereka yang ingkar dengan PKP tetapi dalam pada masa yang sama patut menggunakan hukuman yang tidak berbentuk pemenjaraan kerana pemenjaraan pesalah ini akan membantutkan tujuan asal PKP iaitu untuk memutuskan rantaian jangkitan dan mendatarkan lengkungan penyebaran virus ini.

Selain itu, perbuatan memenjarakan mereka membawa risiko penularan wabak Covid-19 ini ke dalam penjara, terutamanya memandangkan sistem penjara dalam negara kita sekarang ini terlalu sesak, dengan hampir 73,000 banduan ditempatkan di dalam penjara yang hanya mempunyai ruang untuk 52,000 banduan di sekitar 50 kompleks penjara di seluruh negara.

Dalam situasi penjara yang sesak sebegini, pembatasan sosial adalah mustahil untuk diamalkan.

Oleh sebab itu, hukuman kepada hampir 400 orang pesalah yang ingkar dengan PKP ini harus diubah kepada hukuman yang tidak berbentuk pemenjaraan.

Perkara ini juga penting untuk melindungi para petugas di Jabatan Penjara, yang tidak diberikan alat pelindungan diri (PPE) dan terdedah kepada risiko dijangkiti wabak ini.

Malah, saya percaya kerajaan harus bergerak selangkah ke hadapan.

Banyak negara di seluruh dunia telah melepaskan banduan mereka yang ditempatkan di penjara yang sesak memandangkan kepayahan untuk mengamalkan pembatasan sosial di tempat sebegini, dengan keadaan kebersihan yang tidak memuaskan dan kekurangan sumber dalam usaha penjagaan kesihatan, yang semuanya meletakkan risiko yang amat tinggi kepada para banduan ini.

Pada hari Jumaat, seramai 22,158 banduan di Indonesia yang telah menjalani lebih daripada dua pertiga daripada hukuman penjara mereka telah dibebaskan untuk mengurangkan risiko penularan wabak Covid-19 di dalam sistem penjara yang sesak di negara tersebut.

Kerajaan Indonesia dijangkakan akan membebaskan hampir 30,000 banduan tetapi mereka yang disabitkan dengan kesalahan rasuah, keganasan, dan kesalahan berkaitan dadah akan dikecualikan.

Di India minggu lepas, Mahkamah Tertinggi telah meminta kerajaan untuk mempertimbangkan pemberian pembebasan bersyarat kepada mereka yang berhadapan dengan hukuman penjara kurang daripada tujuh tahun sebagai sebahagian daripada usaha untuk mengurangkan kesesakan di dalam sistem penjara mereka.

Di United Kingdom pula, kerajaan mereka telah mengumumkan yang para banduan berisiko rendah yang berada di penghujung hukuman penjara mereka akan dipertimbangkan untuk diberikan pembebasan awal, untuk mengelakkan penularan wabak Covid-19 di dalam penjara yang boleh melumpuhkan hospital setempat.

Kerajaan Malaysia perlu mengambil tindakan yang sama untuk mengekang penyebaran wabak Covid-19 memandangkan keadaan sesak penjara-penjara di Malaysia, dengan membenarkan pelepasan awal banduan, terutamanya di kalangan banduan warga emas, banduan yang dijadualkan untuk dibebaskan dalam tempoh beberapa bulan lagi, banduan yang dipenjarakan atas kesalahan kecil dan kesalahan-kesalahan yang tidak melibatkan keganasan, individu yang mempunyai keadaan kesihatan yang memberikan risiko tinggi kepada mereka, dan banduan yang telah melakukan jenayah yang tidak membawa sebarang bahaya kepada orang lain.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang pada hari Ahad 5 April 2020)

==============================

With the global total of Covid-19 pandemic increasing for the first time by over 100,000 cases in the last 24 hours, it is a stark reminder that Malaysia cannot flourish in post-Covid-19 pandemic economics if the world cannot flourish.

The global total of Covid-19 cases is now 1,200,372 as against yesterday’s 1,091,215 cases.

The United States has become the foremost epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic, establishing two grim records yesterday with confirmed Covid-19 cases increasing by over 30,000 cases (i.e.  33,125 cases) in a single day to reach a country total of 310,266 cases, while recording over a thousand deaths (i.e. 1,037 deaths) to reach a total of 8,441 confirmed Covid-19 deaths

The United States ranks third in the total number of Covid-19 deaths, after Italy with a total fatality of 15,362 and Spain with a total fatality of 11,947.  The total Covid-19 fatality in these three countries reaches 35,750 – which is nearly eleven  times China’s total death toll of 3,326 from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Data for the top 12 countries with most number of Covid-19 cases (which also contain the 12 top countries for Covid-19 deaths) and Malaysia are as follows:

United States: 310,284 cases; 8,452 deaths (2.7%)

Spain: 126,168 cases; 11,947 deaths (9.47%)

Italy: 124,632 cases; 15,362 deaths (12.3%)

Germany: 96,092 cases; 1,444 deaths (1.5%)

France: 89,953 cases; 7,560 deaths (8.4%)

China: 81,639 cases; 3,326 deaths (4.07%)

Iran: 55,743 cases; 3,452 deaths (6.2%)

UK: 41,903 cases; 4,313 deaths (10.3%)

Turkey: 23,934 cases; 501 deaths (2.09%)

Switzerland: 20,505 cases; 666 deaths (3.25%)

Belgium: 18,431 cases; 1,283 deaths (6.96%)

Netherlands: 16,627 cases; 1,651 deaths (9.9%)

Malaysia: 3,483 cases; 57 deaths (1.64%)

The world outlook for the Covid-19 is quite grim, but we must do whatever is possible in the invisible global war against Covid-19 pandemic to learn from the best practices in other countries to win the battle against the novel coronavirus, and even more important, to win the battle of pandemic economics.

I support the proposal of the  Prison’s Director-General, Zulkifli Omar that the courts should stop jailing people for violating the movement control order (MCO) precisely because of the Covid-119 pandemic which had brought the MCO into existence in the first place.

The courts should be strict with the MCO violaters but should keep to non-custodial sentences as  jailing them will defeat the very purpose of the MCO to break the chain of transmission of the novel coronavirus and to “flatten the curve”.

Even more serious and dangerous, sending the MCO violaters to jail  exposes them  to the danger of Covid-19 infections, especially as the country’s prisons are vastly overcrowded with 73,000 prisoners being housed in spaces intended to hold 52,000 inmates in the 50 prisons in the country.

Under these overcrowded conditions in the prisons, social distancing would be impossible.

For this reason, the close to 400 violaters of the MCO who have been jailed should have their sentences altered to non-custodial sentences.

This is also to protect the prison personnel, who would have no personal protective equipment (PPE) and  be most  vulnerable if  there is a Covid-19 outbreak in the prisons.

In fact, the government should go one step further.

Many jurisdictions in other countries are releasing prisoners in overcrowded prisons because social distancing is impossible in these  locked facilities and the unhygienic conditions and lack of health care resources  in jails put lives at serious risk with the Covid-19 outbreak.

On Friday, a total of  22,158 prisoners in Indonesia who had served two-thirds of their sentences were  released in a bid to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission in overcrowded detention facilities.

The Indonesian government is set to release a total of 30,000 prisoners but the number does not include those convicted for corruption, terrorism, and drug-related crimes.

In India last week,  the  Supreme Court asked state governments to consider giving parole to those facing up to seven-year jail term in a bid to decongest prisons on account of the Covid-19 outbreak.

In the United Kingdom, the government has announced that lower risk prisoners at the end of their custodial sentence will be considered for early release, amid fears that a prison outbreak of COVID-19 could overwhelm local hospitals.

The Malaysian government should do the same to avert a Covid-19 outbreak  in view of the overcrowded conditions in Malaysian prisons, by allowing the early release of prisoners, especially the elderly,  people within months of scheduled release, people whose charges are misdemeanors or non-violent felonies, individuals whose health leaves them at particular risk from COVID-19 and whose crime involves no physical harm to another person.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Sunday, 5th April 2020)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 5 April 2020, 10:46 am and is filed under
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