Spreading the Christmas cheer

JUST as we wind down and look forward to the year-end holidays with Christmas celebrations and welcoming in the New Year, the looming spectre of Covid-19 threatens to spoil this festive season.

Almost 30,000 active cases have been reported and the numbers are rising.

Our newly-minted Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad has sounded the alarm, and his ministry has issued a five-point strategy to deal with this surge.

This includes early case detection via the Heightened Alert System (HAS), community tracing via a TRIIS (test, report, isolate, inform and seek) system, monitoring of health facilities, effective risk communication and digitisation of the health system via the MySejahtera application.

But beyond this gobbledygook, we should all know the drill by now. Maintain your distance from one another, practice good hygiene, wear masks indoors or in crowded spaces and get booster shots – especially those in the high-risk categories.

“At present, the situation is not causing a burden on our health facilities. Do not be alarmed, but at the same time, take precautionary measures,” the minister said.

Not pressing the panic button is important because the majority (97%) of the recent surge of Covid-19 cases are in the low-risk category.

If there’s a feeling of deja vu about all this, it’s because an almost similar pandemic situation occurred at the same time two years ago. But there’s a huge difference. In 2021, the threat of movement controls stopped many people from travelling. Celebrations were decidedly low-key, and retailers and F&B recorded significant drops in sales.

This time around, we have learnt to navigate the Covid-19 threat in our lives. No doubt, it’s good to take precautionary measures, and the government has also made booster shots available at 230 health clinics for Malaysians to walk in and take their shots.

But all of this is purely voluntary. There are no longer any mandatory measures, SOP or restrictions.

Christmas is around the corner, and this is the period when lots of shopping gets done, even if you don’t celebrate the birth of Christ. It’s an abundance of holiday cheer coinciding with the school holidays.

It also generally coincides with bonuses being paid, so before you click that button or visit a shopping mall to get that next gift, think of what your RM100 or even RM50 could do for the less fortunate.

There is a Chinese saying that goes, “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”

For centuries, the greatest thinkers have suggested the same thing – happiness is found in helping others.

But it’s always the same old cliche this time of year when you hear people say, “Think of the less fortunate”. Sadly, this is merely lip service for most of us.

If you really want to do something meaningful, now is the time to act. Many charities have been hard hit in terms of funding as corporations scale down on their corporate social responsibility projects and individuals cut down on their donations.

The ringgit’s devaluation hasn’t helped, and this has been a double whammy for charitable organisations. This is the crucial period when charity homes, orphanages, old folks’ homes and the likes rely on your donations and assistance.

This is also a period where you wind down, reflect on how much work you’ve done over the year, and take time to enjoy the things in life that really matter. And because of its year-end date, this is a holiday usually enjoyed by all, whether you’re Christian or not.

But in the midst of all this merry making, spare a thought for the underprivileged. So, try getting a bunch of friends together, head to the supermarket, buy some essentials and donate these items to orphanages and old folks’ homes. That is the true spirit of Christmas.

The festive period is a cause for celebrations, but please stay safe on the road.

Statistically, December is the worst month for road fatalities as more people travel for holidays across the country. Statistics show that about 80% of road crashes are caused by human errors because most of the crashes are avoidable and preventable.

As we draw to the close of 2023 and enjoy these last few weeks of the year, there is still time for us to be an instrument of peace, hope and love.

And as we look forward to a bright new year ahead, I wish you, dear reader, and those who are celebrating Christmas, a prayerful and cheerful Christmas. And to our other readers, may you have a joyful and pleasant New Year with your loved ones.