‘Show your patriotism by following the SOP’

Essential effort: Kuan distributing rice, noodles and basic necessities to income-affected residents in Puchong. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star

PETALING JAYA: Social activists who have been assisting the people on the ground throughout the Covid-19 pandemic have implored Malaysians to follow the SOP in the spirit of patriotism.

Kuan Chee Heng, whose Community Policing Malaysia provides ambulance services and assistance to the underprivileged, said patriotism does not just mean flying the Jalur Gemilang.

“This is the time to be patriotic by taking the necessary measures to avoid being a Covid-19 victim.

“The enemy can be thwarted by the people by not moving, ” he said.

To avoid a high number of infections and overwhelming health facilities, Kuan said the people could “save the situation” by following the SOP.

“Many patients told me their procedures had to be postponed because hospitals are overwhelmed with Covid-19 cases. Some of them are cancer patients, ” said Kuan.

Recalling a recent case involving three babies, Kuan said: “The babies, aged between a few months’ and two years, had heart ailments.

“They were flown here from Sarawak and I was tasked with transporting them to a private hospital in Penang for their operation.”

However, he said they could not be operated on in the city hospital due to the high number of Covid-19 cases there.

Citing his own observations, Kuan said many people were still lackadaisical about the SOP.

He said people could still be seen shaking hands and gathering without keeping a safe distance.

“We are actually prolonging the MCO, ” he said.

#OpsHarapan movement founder Ng Yeen Seen agreed, adding that she had come across many who did not wear their face masks correctly, including food handlers who even had no masks or gloves on.

“Once, I walked out of a restaurant because I saw workers preparing food in the kitchen without masks, ” she said.

To minimise contacts, Ng said #OpsHarapan worked with its partners on the ground and managed to reach out to 25 hospitals nationwide with various PPE donations since last year.