Why has Malaysia become the worst performer Asia in the last two months in the Covid-19 Pandemic – even worse than India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, Japan, China and South Korea?

Why has Malaysia become the worst performer in Asia in the last two months in the Covid-19 Pandemic – even worse than India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, Japan, China and South Korea?

On November 18, 2020, we were ranked No. 85 among countries in the world with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases, having 49,730 Covid-19 cases, but yesterday, we have jumped 25 places to be ranked No. 60 with 165,371 Covid-19 cases and 619 fatalities.

No other Asian country have recorded such a 25-rank jump in the last two months as shown by the following table:

World rankings for Asian countries with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases and the number of Covid-19 cases for the two dates Nov 18 2020 – Jan 19, 2021:

Furthermore, this table shows that in the two months from November 18, 2020 to January 19, 2021, the number of Covid-19 cases increased by 3.325 times - the highest increase among the countries in Asia – followed by Thailand, Japan and South Korea.

If we cannot find the answer to this question - Why has Malaysia become the worst performer in Asia in the last two months in the Covid-19 Pandemic, even worse than India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, Japan, China and South Korea? – then we are very far from the solution to the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The gravity of the third wave of Covid-19 pandemic has been further highlighted by two developments – firstly, by the entire country, except for Sarawak, being placed under the movement control order (MCO) and secondly, for the last week since the re-imposition of MCO.2, the daily average for the week was as high as 3,405 Covid-19 cases.

Although the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has belatedly replied to the Open Letter to him by 46 public health experts on the Covid-19 pandemic, the most important proposal by the 46 public health experts, i.e. for the establishment of a Covid-19 Task Force comprising a cross-sectoral and empowered team of subject matter experts, has yet to be formed 12 days after their Open Letter to the Prime Minister.

The country is facing an unprecedented national crisis, and all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or politics, must single-mindedly apply all their efforts and energies to one goal – to save Malaysia from the Covid-19 pandemic: save lives, avoid an economic collapse, provide an economic safety net for citizens and business in distress, implement these measures without fraud and corruption and to plan for a post-Covid recovery.

For theses reasons, the Yang di Pertuan Agong should seriously consider convening a Special Parliament specifically on the Covid-19 pandemic, as the proclamation of emergency is not a bar to the Yang di Pertuan Agong convening a Special Parliament on it.

There will be no possibility of any no confidence motion as the Special Parliament is specifically about the Covid-19 pandemic.

This will also enable Members of Parliament to play their important role as agents for a belated “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” strategy and approach in the war against Covid-19 pandemic.

It will be a most absurd contradiction to talk about “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” strategy and approach in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic if elected representatives of the people, like Members of Parliament and State Assembly persons, are excluded in the ”all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” strategy and approach.

The greatest challenge facing the country today is whether we are capable of formulating and implementing an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” strategy and approach in the war against Covid-19 pandemic to unite Malaysians as one people – the public sector and the private sector, specifically the private health sector, the political parties, the NGOs and the civil society, the SMEs, the corporate world and even the investors.