(10 July): Malaysia’s new viral cases hit a record more than five weeks into a statewide lockdown with the harshest restrictions yet, highlighting an inconsistent response to the outbreak as Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s struggling government’s attention is obscured by continual political instability. Malaysians in serious need of aid are being encouraged to display white flags outside their homes as part of a social media campaign to draw attention to how dire their situation is for some. Businesses are warning that the economy is at breaking point, and widespread unemployment is a serious threat, with Muhyiddin involved in yet another battle for survival.
Hans Bala, 43, is one of the Malaysians who has taken matters into his own hands to help others in need. In the capital, Kuala Lumpur, where the urban poverty situation has worsened, he solicited donations from family and friends and has delivered thousands of cooked meals in recent months.
“We don’t have to wait for the government to act,” he said, adding that, anecdotally, food aid requests had increased in recent weeks. “I’m not involved in politics. I’m not going to wait to see what this prime minister does or who wins the next election.”
Malaysia went into lockdown on June 1 after daily cases increased by an average of 7,600 per day in the latter days of May. Millions of individuals were obliged to stay at home or work from home, leaving just for the most basic necessities. However, several sections remained open, stoking complaints that the lockdown would be ineffective because millions of people were still out and about.
The number of new infections hit an all-time high of 9,180 on Friday.
This comes after Muhyiddin’s government coalition’s largest party dropped support for the prime minister last week. Muhyiddin declared a state of emergency in January, suspending parliament and preventing his opponents from mounting a no-confidence move against him. As the number of cases grows, opposition parties and the monarch have pressed him to call a new session of parliament before the emergency ends on August 1. On July 26, he promised to do so for five days in order to discuss the country’s Covid-19 recovery plan.
The United Malays National Organisation’s withdrawal of support will “make the current coalition considerably less stable and likely make it harder for the current coalition to tackle Covid and jump start the economy,” according to Murray Hiebert, a senior associate in the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Southeast Asia program.
Even if his administration survives yet another challenge to his leadership, more than a year of political turbulence caused by power struggles in parliament has left many Malaysians in the dark, and at the worst possible time. Burnout is affecting health workers across the country, and hospitals are being compelled to expand their capacity.
Despite hundreds of billions of ringgit in extra budgetary spending since the pandemic began, there is worry that not enough help has reached those who need it most.
“People are generally dissatisfied with the government’s handling of Covid,” Serina Abdul Rahman, a visiting fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, said. “They regard political maneuvering as a preoccupation with retaining and seizing power, and they believe the government does not care about the people’s interests.”
The government announced RM150 billion in Covid aid last month, the fourth such package this year, which included cash transfers and wage subsidies. It included tax cuts for individuals, financial assistance for businesses, and tax breaks for first-time home buyers. Muhyiddin claimed the government’s remaining fiscal space was severely tight while announcing the measures.
“Many relief packages have been announced, but because to the challenges in obtaining aid, the aid does not always reach the people,” Serina explained.
A rush of social media campaigns raising support for those badly affected by the pandemic has gathered traction in an attempt to take up the slack, with initiatives geared at aiding the hardest-hit groups, ranging from lower-income families to refugees and animal shelters.
Regardless of political affiliation, lawmakers were given an RM300,000 “food basket” to distribute to specific communities. Some legislators have also turned to Twitter and Facebook for personal fundraising.
Since the epidemic first broke out last year, the hashtag #KitaJagaKita, which means “we look out for each other,” has been trending on Twitter. Last month, the hashtag #BenderaPutih gained traction, pushing those in financial trouble to seek help by waving a white flag in front of their homes. The campaign prompted the construction of websites that crowd-source data on aid while also connecting donors and food banks with those in need.
“With the Muhyiddin government mired in heavy politics, the problem of Covid mortality numbers remaining high for over a month, and people’s trust in the government eroding, people have moved to supporting each other,” said Khor Yu Leng, a regional economist at Segi Enam Advisors. “Financial misery is on the rise, as is criticism of politicians and the administration on social media. “The finance ministry expects an earlier growth target of 6%-7.5 percent to be lowered downward due to the extended containment measures, thus there are few prospects of a reversal anytime soon. Last month, Muhyiddin claimed that the national lockdown costs the economy RM1 billion every day.
Others, on the other hand, are hopeful that the government will set politics aside and focus on the situation at hand.
“Let the administration concentrate on the more important issues, such as resolving the Covid issue and vaccinating everyone,” Bala added. “That’s what we need to concentrate on, not politics.”/n
