Time for Selangor leaders to put politics aside and fight Covid-19

THIS crucial two-week period for Selangor under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO), starting tomorrow, hopefully, could allay fears and worries of the soaring infectivity rate and threat of new and deadly Covid-19 variants, not only among Selangorians but for all Malaysians, too.

Selangor has been on top of the chart of infectious cases for the past few months. Hopefully, by now, the leaders there would work closely together, in all fairness and solidarity, with sincerity and honesty, with the federal authorities to ease the infectivity rate. Animosity and vindication if there is any, must be rid of.

By all counts, if cases in this most industrialised Opposition-led Pakatan Harapan state is not attended to seriously, all plans under the government’s National Recovery Plan (NRP) to achieve herd immunity before year-end, would be affected to a great extent. Progress definitely will be slow and surely, this will make people get more easily agitated and restless in a vicious cycle that has caused so much misery and hardship.

PKR-led Selangor leaders must not make any deliberate attempts at delaying any movement of all plans that have been outlined under the NRP. Stop hurling caustic remarks or endlessly finding faults with the Federal Government, the federal ministers and others. It has been way too long Selangorians and other residents being trapped and confined under those restrictive measures which have to be imposed due to surges in cases at all times.

Please don’t be selfish or contemplate any other political moves or stunts to disrupt the federal government’s plans and strategies to take us out of this pandemic-induced period. Work sincerely and with honesty with those at the federal level for our lives and livelihoods really matter, not your personal, political, vindictive agenda or affiliations.

This is a matter of do-or-die. We will never get to go back to post-pandemic days if you, leaders in Selangor, remain too opinionated that you refuse to change even when you are clearly unreasonable and wrong.

The recent case where Selangor health exco Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud apologized to federal minister, Khairy Jamaluddin over her claim of low vaccine supply for the state, highlights the dire need for state leaders to be more tolerant, understanding and cooperative.

Without checking her fact right, this exco member had accused the Federal Government of discriminating against Selangor. In his rebuttals, Khairy highlighted the low vaccination rate in Selangor where he told state leaders to buck up on its vaccination drive. The state government has failed to ramp up its vaccination rate due to low vaccination capacity despite the fact that it is the state with the highest supply of vaccines.

Stop finger-pointing or endlessly blaming others. These short intervals to fight the pandemic must be made use of in all positivity for the sake of rakyat in Selangor. From reports, Selangor recorded an average of 1,800 to 1,900 cases daily while Kuala Lumpur has between 600 and 1,000 cases daily while the R-naught in both states are still around 1.0 and do not show a downward trend. Indeed, this is a very worrying situation and people in both states have every right to be very alarmed.

This enhanced movement control order also calls for enhanced cooperation and assistance from these Opposition-led state leaders. Clearly, it makes an utmost prerequisite for the good of all and this beloved country of ours, too. This bitter pill may work if we remain together and united in our fight against the pandemic. Stop those unhealthy political tactics and those not in the interest of the nation. Selangor has seen one failure after another in its management and handling of Covid-19 so far. Now it is time for state leaders to follow the path of light to see us back to those pre-pandemic days.

Haliza Ahmad

Kajang, Selangor