Stressed but Sabahans ready to bite the MCO bullet again

Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. -filepic

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah concurs with the Federal Government’s decision to impose a two-week movement control order for the state beginning tomorrow.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the MCO was necessary to stop the exponential increase of Covid-19 cases in the state.

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He urged the public to heed directives from the authorities and observe standard operation procedure to stop the pandemic.

A total of 374 new cases were detected in Sabah yesterday, bringing the cumulative total of Covid-19 cases in Sabah to 41,040.

One fatality was also reported on Sunday.

While Sabahans are stressed over the need to go through another MCO, they see it as necessary to flatten the Covid-19 curve.

Jolica Xavier, 32, said that as a small-time business owner, the MCO forced her to stop operations for quite some time last March, and she expected a repeat.

“But we have no choice if we really want to stop the spread of the virus, ” she said, adding that she would hang on, restart her food delivery business and try to pull through.

“We can do it if everyone works together; we must be serious about fixing this.”

Online trader Sunita Rahman, 26, said this MCO would definitely be harder on daily wage workers and businesses that were not digitally savvy.

“But we have to go through it whether we like it or not, we need to beat Covid-19, ” she said.

Sunita urged those who could lose their income due to the imposition of the MCO to find alternative income sources through small-scale food deliveries and other businesses.

Sales supervisor Martha Martin, 33, said she welcomed the MCO announcement, and hoped something could really be taken from this lesson.

“We cannot be lenient, we cannot win if we relax, so let us all please work as one to flatten the curve, ” she said.

Car salesman Jasni Rubinsin, 40, said that while he would not be earning any commission during this period as he wouldn’t be able to sell anything, “there is no other way to stop the Covid-19 march”.

Bodyguard Mark Gilbert said although the MCO was hard to swallow, it was necessary to curb the spread of the virus in Sabah.

Typist Lorraine Jacob, 33, said politicians should stop bickering and focus on helping the nation recover.

She blamed the hike in cases to political activities such as the state election and so on.