Target Red Zones For Lockdown

Only red zones should be locked down while businesses in green zones should be allowed to operate in order to revive the economy.

Target red zones for lockdown — Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

By Michael Tay, who is the Johor Covid-19 Pandemic Taskforce chairman, and also Johor MCA Government Coordinating Chairman.

It is not logical nor does it make economic sense to lock down the safe zones or compare Johor with other states that have a high Covid-19 infection rate.

I would urge the Federal Government and also the Johor Menteri Besar to allow eateries, hair salons and shopping malls which are not in the red zones to reopen.

It’s not about getting vaccinated anymore. People’s savings are depleting due to the pandemic. Some have already started using their retirement funds.

We should follow Sabah’s model. The Federal Government should not impose excessive restrictions on any state which do not have a high infectivity rate.

I once again urge the Federal Government to let the Menteri Besar and his committee of health professionals from the state to draw up their own SOPs in battling the pandemic.

The Menteri Besar should know the red zones, the safe zones, and the landscape and demography of his state better than anyone else. If the Menteri Besar of a state is not a health expert, then the health personnels from the top hospitals should be tasked to advise him.

The public would thank the Federal Government if businesses can re-open, as many entrepreneurs and industries are hanging by a thread over the continued lockdown.

Food court and restaurants that offer only takeaways are not earning enough to sustain their business.

The Federal Government should adopt a decentralized approach. Let each state have its own SOP.

I sympathise with the healthcare workers but I also hear the pleas of small business owners and those who have lost their jobs, who have depleted all their savings and are turning into paupers, some are resorting to a life of crime while some are contemplating suicides.

It has been reported that textile and apparel factories have ceased operations since last year, leaving about 6,000 employees retrenched. The chain reaction of that was numerous small-medium enterprises have also shut down or downsized causing about 15,000 to lose their jobs.

The problem with Selangor having such huge spike in the number of Covid-19 cases is because of the foreign workers in factories. Many of these workers are believed to be illegal, so they try to avoid getting caught. Majikan perlu ambil tanggungjawab saring pekerja asing

Factory owners should conduct tests at their own premises and isolate the workers who tested positive. This would prevent the infected ones from spreading the virus to others.

Targeted lockdowns should be practiced, and those who have received two doses of the vaccine should be allowed more freedom, if they are well. So, please don’t miss your appointment if you have been called up.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in Your Say are those of the contributor, not the blog owner.

July 18, 2021 0

Time To Wave A White Flag?

Is it time to wave a white flag (bendera putih)? Our existing SOP is obviously ineffective and perhaps a change of strategy is needed. This uphill battle must be exhausting!

By Michael Tay, who is the Johor Covid-19 Pandemic Taskforce chairman, and also Johor MCA Government Coordinating Affairs Chairman.

The total number of Covid-19 cases stood at 751,979 nationwide on June 30, with 6,276 new cases and 62 deaths.

Should we be reviewing our Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and maybe consider a change of strategy to fight the coronavirus?

The first Movement Control Order (MCO) was introduced to break the chain of Covid-19 on March 18, 2020 and since then, there has been the Conditional Movement Control Order, Recovery Movement Control Order, MCO 2.0, MCO 3.0

And Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin reportedly said that the MCO will only be lifted when daily new Covid-19 cases are less than 4,000.

Since the number is not going down and doesn’t look like it’s going down anytime soon — and the Prime Minister is having diarrhoea! — why not delegate the task of reducing the number of Covid-19 cases to the Menteri Besar (MB) or Chief Minister of each state?

We can follow the US model where a country with 50 states, each has its own SOP.

If the MBs are empowered to come up with their own SOPs instead of following a standardised SOP, would this bring down the infection rate?

The MB should know the red zones, the landscape and demography of his state better than anyone else.

It’s going to be a monumental task, so the MB and his own committee comprising personnels from the top hospitals in the state, will still need the assistance of the Federal Government.

But if given more power, the MB may be able to do a better job. He could draw up another SOP to complement the standardised SOP. A case in point is, the re-opening of the MPH bookstores at Vivacity Megamall and The Spring in Sarawak on June 29 based on a statement from the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee, while outlets in other states remain closed.

I believe if Johor can reduce the number of Covid-19 cases, it would be able to regain the confidence of its neighbours and attract the Singaporeans to shop and invest in the state again.

This is a win-win situation as it will also ease the burden of the Prime Minister, Senior Minister (security) Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who are the ones calling all the shots right now with one SOP implemented nationwide.

It should not be a centralised system, like what we are practising now. Delegation is a management skill that will lead to specialisation. This is not a call for Tan Sri Muhyiddin and his team to surrender. They just need to review and revamp the existing SOP and come up with a more effective SOP. It is also about time the MBs shoulder more responsibility and show their leadership in reviving the state economy and curbing the infection rate as the vaccination programme is carried out.

I take this opportunity to thank the Prime Minister for announcing the National People’s Well-Being and Economic Recovery Package (PEMULIH), which is going to alleviate the financial burden faced by those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

The RM300,000 which will be distributed to all Members of Parliament, regardless of which camp they are in, is a good move but it should be done quickly and properly to ensure the money is channeled to those who are in financial distress.

On another matter, many people are happy with the 6-month bank loan moratorium, but we also mustn’t overstrain the banks by having one moratorium after another. I know some banks have already closed a number of their branches. You’re unlikely to see banks waving a bendera putih or white flag as they’re consolidating. They’ll just collapse.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in Your Say are those of the contributor, not the blog owner.

Deliver On Your Promises, Please!

Vaccinated for Covid-19 — Michael Tay got his first jab on May 23rd.

Covid-19 Vaccination — Mild side-effects after the jab.

By Michael Tay, who is the Johor Covid-19 Pandemic Taskforce chairman.

I would like to inform the public that I have received my first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine on 23rd May and the side effects were pretty mild. I’m looking forward to getting my second shot on the 13th of June.

I’m saying this to reassure some people who have come up to me and expressed reluctance to sign up for vaccination out of fear that there’ll be adverse effects after the vaccination.

I assure you there is nothing to worry about. Everyone will react differently to the vaccine but for a person who has been vaccinated, the chances of dying from Covid-19 is significantly reduced.

So, I urge everyone to sign up at MySejahtera if they have not done so yet. There are some who have registered since January but have not received any notifications yet. I would like the relevant authorities to expedite the vaccination for those who have already registered.

For those who do not know how to register, please reach out for help as there are numerous support channels. Please get yourselves registered to have better protection against the virus.

I experienced only mild side effects after the first dose in May, but reading these articles is really making my head spin. No, there’s nothing wrong with the news reports but the figures are mind-boggling.

In this article, it was stated Johor will receive up to 100,000 more Covid-19 jabs so that the Johor-Singapore borders can be re-open in June.

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/johor-to-receive-up-to-100000-more-covid-19-vaccines-for-malaysian-workers-aims-to

In another report, as of May 17, the number of people who have been vaccinated in the state was not even 10 per cent. Only 104,263 or 8.49 per cent have received their first dose while 70,488 or 5.74% have received two doses. The number of people who have registered was reportedly 1.22 million.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/05/20/ex-johor-exco-members-say-govt-should-be-flexible-and-step-up-vaccinations

In another report, several community leaders noted that 1.5 million of Johor’s 3.6 million residents have registered for the vaccines but there were only 26 Covid-19 centres throughout Johor. This translates to about 50,000 people or 100,000 doses of vaccine per vaccination centre.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/06/02/johor-pakatan-reps-urge-putrajaya-to-study-lack-of-vaccine-centres-for-stat/1979022

Then there was a very optimistic article where Pharmaniaga Berhad said it has the capacity to churn out 12 million doses to the Federal Government.

https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2021/06/01/pharmaniaga-supplying-covid-19-vaccines-to-states-glcs-now-adham/

And most recently, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the state is trying to get half a million doses of vaccines from Singapore and China to boost the State’s Immunisation Programme?

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/06/03/johor-hoping-to-get-half-a-million-more-doses-from-singapore-or-china

All is good. Everyone’s making the effort to battle the coronavirus.

For Johor to achieve herd immunity through vaccination, about 80% of the population will need to be innoculated.

With the Movement Control Order enforced, the number of cases is still very high. I can’t imagine what the numbers will be if there were no MCO.

But what still baffles me is the numbers. I would like the coordinating minister for the National Immunisation Programme, Khairy Jamaluddin to provide us more concrete answers and not just utter promises.

Are we able to achieve the target if those who have registered in January are still waiting for their turn? And what about those who have yet to register?

Even after the Singapore-Johor borders are re-opened, I doubt the situation will return to normal anytime soon as the spending power of the people and mindsets have changed due to the pandemic.

With 2.8 million of the population in Johor still waiting for their vaccination in order to achieve herd immunity in the shortest possible time so that the economy can thrive again, we’re really counting on the Federal Government, our neighbour and also China for some assistance.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in Your Say are those of the contributor, not the blog owner.

Asian American Community: We Stand By You

Being a Malaysian Chinese living in an Asian country, my heart weeps for the Asian American community that is facing a rising tide of hate crimes in the United States of America.

Asian American Community: We Stand By You

By Michael Tay, Johor MCA Government Coordinating Affairs chairman.

Asians worldwide mourn the deaths of the 556,036 people who have died from the coronavirus in the US, a nation hardest hit by Covid-19. We do not see them as Blacks, Whites or Yellows nor were they mere statistics. They’re someone’s child, someone’s spouse, brother, sister or parent.

I can understand the pain and grief felt by those who have lost their loved ones, and my heart bleeds for them but the bashing of Asians currently taking place in the US is beyond my comprehension.

News reports revealed some 41 million citizens have been fully vaccinated while 75 million have been given one dose of the vaccine (as of time of writing). Soon, the US population will achieve herd immunity through vaccination, and normalcy is expected to return. The economy will boom again, and people will find employment.

So, I don’t understand the flare-up of the anti-Asian stigma which has resulted in violence and deaths of innocent victims. This is striking fear and terror in everyone’s hearts, even someone who is living some 15,000km from the US.

Imagine the emotional turmoil of Asians who are currently in the US.

When an African-American man, Mr George Floyd died on May 25, Asians were sympathetic and had come together to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Floyd’s death sparked reactions across Asia. Even though one of policemen who were at the scene of the killing was Asian American, this should not be a reason to attack the Asian American community.

America used to be a beacon of democracy, a beacon of light for the rest of the world.

I had studied and worked in the US, spent about 8 years of my life in ? near New York. I have immense respect for Caucasians, Blacks, the Latinos, and most of the Americans I’ve met there. They made me feel at home.

You can read my previous blog posts about my thoughts about the US and I care about the country and its citizens.

Anti-Racism Watchdog

Take Covid-19 Seriously

World Economies

The US today, is not the US that I used to know. All the bigotry and hate crimes against Asians has got to stop. If Asians in the US are facing discrimination and living in insecurity and fear of getting beaten up or even losing their lives from day to day, then I hope they will consider coming to Malaysia. Invest in Malaysia, build a new life in Malaysia.

In Asian countries, such as Malaysia, we do not bash up people because of their race. No matter what is your race, you can walk on our street and feel safe.

Asian students who are currently studying in the US should consider coming to Malaysia and continuing their studies here, as there are international universities in Malaysia. Those who feel threatened should turn to their respective embassies for assistance.

All this hatred and blame is not going to bring back the 556,036 people who have died. Please stop the hate. Respect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris who are strongly condemning the attacks on Asian Americans, and exercise some self-restraint. I’m happy to read this news

Biden Pushes House-Passed Gun Reforms In The Wake Of Colorado Mass Shooting

Asians are not to be blamed for the pandemic. Once the US has achieved herd immunity from vaccination, things will go back to normal.

Meanwhile, the US government should set up the mechanism and infrastructure to protect the Asian American community there.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in Your Say are those of the contributor, not the blog owner.

March 24, 2021 1

Herd Immunity Through Vaccination Is The Answer To Economic Recovery

“Mass innoculation will enable life to return to normalcy where we can come out and mingle with one another without any fear of getting infected with the coronavirus.”

By Michael Tay, Johor MCA Government Coordinating Affairs chairman.

Herd Immunity Through Vaccination Is The Answer To Economic Recovery — Michael Tay is also the chairman of the Board of Visitors for Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor Bahru.

I’ve seen far too many “To Let/For Sale” signs on gates and roller shutter doors of shops and houses in Johor, Malaysia, lately.

People are selling their houses due to cash flow difficulties and many have depleted their savings since the pandemic. Some have not eaten for 2 to 3 days, and the number of homeless people in Johor is increasing.

All this negativity is indeed depressing, which is why I would like to urge the government to roll out the coronavirus vaccination programme and get as many people vaccinated as soon as possible.

Herd immunity is the answer to reviving Johor as well as Malaysia’s ailing economy which has been badly hit by the Movement Control Order 2.0 To achieve herd immunity, about 23 million or 70% of the Malaysian population needs be vaccinated.

It has been reported that retail businesses nationwide has dipped about 90% during the first week of MCO 2.0 as the apparel segment had to cease operation.

Consumer confidence has been affected by the pandemic and job uncertainty, prompting many to stay at home and be more prudent with their spending.

I would like an update on the negotiation with the Beijing-based biopharmaceutical company Sinovac, the manufacturer of CoronaVac. Why is the vaccine not here yet, when neighbouring countries Indonesia and Singapore have already launched their immunisation programmes?

Indonesia recently rolled out its mass free Covid-19 vaccination programme with its President, Mr Joko Widodo affectionately known as Jokowi, being the first person in the country to receive the first jab of the CoronaVac. Indonesia targeted those age 18 to 59 to receive the vaccine shots in the maiden phase of its immunisation programme.

Singapore received its first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 in December 2020. However, there were reservations among Singaporeans toward taking the vaccines.

I can’t wait for my turn to get vaccinated. However, I would prefer to receive the vaccine which only require one dose instead of the Moderna, or Pfizer/BioNTech and other vaccines that need two shots — a priming dose followed by a booster shot. But that is, if I were given the choice. If there’s really no option then I would take any vaccine that comes my way.

But I would suggest that we start assembling our frontliners and volunteers now for deployment to all vaccine distribution and administration centres. The people who will be administering the jabs must be well prepared for the large number expected to throng public hospitals in urban, suburban and rural areas once the immunisation programme is rolled out.

The Prime Minister’s Message To The Rakyat

Last month, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin did say that over 80% of Malaysia’s population (close to 27 million people) are expected to be vaccinated by the 1^st quarter of 2021.

Malaysia is going to be the first country outside China to carry out the clinical trial of a Covid-19 vaccine candidate made by the Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China which will involve 3,000 volunteers.

You can read more about Malaysia’s immunisation plan in the link below.

https://www.pmo.gov.my/2021/01/3000-volunteers-in-phase-3-clinical-trial-for-covid-19-vaccine-pm-muhyiddin/

My Advice: Consult A Doctor Before Getting A Vaccination

I would like to advise those who have diabetes, hypertension or any other comorbidities to consult a family doctor or any qualified physician prior to getting the vaccination.

Malaysia reportedly has one of the highest number of diabetic patients in Asia, with approximately 3.9 million people over the age of 18 which is 1 in 5 adults with this disease.

For those who do not have underlying health issues, I would urge them not to hesitate in getting themselves vaccinated as only when there is herd immunity can there be hope for life to return to normalcy. We will then be able to come out and mingle with one another no longer fearful of getting infected with the coronavirus, like the good old days where retail outlets, hotels, fitness centres and eateries were abuzz with activities.

Michael Tay: Herd Immunity Is The Answer To Economic Recovery

Disclaimer: The views expressed in Your Say are those of the contributor, not the blog owner.

January 23, 2021 2

A time to be compassionate and reasonable

By Michael Tay, Johor MCA Government Coordinating Affairs chairman.

I met my friend just now. He had started his first business at the age of 18. He’s 50 now and has several shop lots in two shopping malls.

Brian (not his real name) is feeling very stressed as he has received a letter from the management of one of his shop lots, reminding him to pay his rental.

Brian’s business at that mall has not exactly been profitable even before the pandemic simply because the rental was RM10,000 per month and he has three workers, each earning RM1,500, and then there were the taxes.

And with the onslaught of Covid-19, Brian is at a loss as to what he should do next. The management said they could reduce the rental on the condition that he extends the lease for another two years, or take up additional shop lots which are currently vacant.

I am also a landlord and over the years, I have forged friendships with my tenants. Since the lockdown started on March 18, I have reduced the rental by 30 to 50 per cent. This is the time to support tenants, not give them a hard time. If banks and landlords are going to be uncompromising, they are going to “kill” businessmen like Brian.

Brian also found out that he was not entitled to any of the incentives in the government’s stimulus package as his sales turnover exceeded RM100,000. When Brian approached several local banks for a loan, he also did not get an encouraging answer to his problem.

He has to pay his workers and the rental, and yet he cannot operate the business. I hope landlords, banks and even the government will look into the plight of people like Brian who are at their wits’ end right now. If they are “destroyed”, this is not going to help our economy.

Please save our local entrepreneurs as they are the ones who are providing jobs for the people.

For those who have savings and cash to spare, now is a good time to enter Bursa Malaysia as share prices have plunged. It’s time to snap up some blue chips.

Shoppers will venture to malls again when our hospitalisation rates have reached a plateau or when someone can assure us that those who are asymptomatic cannot spread the disease and whether there is going to be a second wave.Until that happens, we should shop online. But I want to caution online shoppers to verify the seller’s authenticity first before making any purchases as I have also heard many stories about frauds and scams, but I shall leave that story for another day.

April 26, 2020 0

Medical infrastructure in place

By Michael Tay, Johor MCA Government and Coordinating Affairs chairman.

I would like to thank China for sending a team of medical experts to Malaysia to help us fight the coronavirus pandemic.

I see a ray of hope as this team can shed light on how their patients were treated and hopefully, this will boost the recovery rate of our patients. This team could also share with us their experience and knowledge

This is crucial now, as all credible information should be given to the scientific community so that there can be a coronavirus model.

With Malaysia’s population standing at 32.6 million, the number of Covid-19 cases is not alarming as we observe social distancing and we are not densely populated.

I also have nothing but praises for Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, our Director-General of Health, who has been giving regular clear concise updates on the Covid-19. This neutralises fear and deters baseless speculations, as the public is kept well informed.

Many people want to go back to their normal lives but I know social gathering is definitely out of the question even after the MCO is lifted and until the scientific community comes up with a model.

For those who are struggling with mental stress can turn to Befrienders Johor Baru, for instance. The hotline number is 07 3312300.

I’ve been told that Befrienders’ hotline has been receiving an average of 40 calls per day since the Movement Control Order (MCO) started, double that of what the non-governmental organisation had been receiving before.

Sim Ah Moi, who is Befrienders Johor Baru’s acting president, said during the first phase of the MCO, the number of calls received was between 16 and 46, and during the second phase, 16 to 44.

Financial woes was the main concerns of those who had called the hotline.

Sim said employees were worried about getting their income, while employers were worried about generating the income and sustaining their businesses.

But Befrienders JB had challenges of their own too. The NGO which has 66 members is currently running the hotline 7 days a week with only 33 volunteers aged between 29 and 67, as some have opted to observe the MCO.

Volunteers are divided into four shifts with two volunteers per shift, so the organisation actually needed a total of eight volunteers daily. With the number of volunteers down by half, some of the volunteers had to work double shifts.

I applaud them for their tireless efforts and commitment to ease frayed nerves in such trying times.

Although Befrienders JB is not made up of professional counsellors and they can’t give any advice, at least you know there’s someone at the other end of the line who’s listening to you.

Sometimes it’s not easy to talk to family members, as you may not want them to worry. So, we have organisations like Befrienders JB to turn to.

For those facing financial worries can also call Johor Welfare Department or the Employees Provident Fund (KWSP) office for assistance.

I would also like to remind those with fever to go for Covid-19 testing immediately. Several days ago, someone said his father was feeling feverish. I told him to send his father for a medical check-up, and his father tested positive for Covid-19.

So, to sum things up. The government has provided all these avenues — a resilient structure is in place. Have faith that with sound political management and policies, Malaysia will bounce back after the crisis.There may be changes to the norm, such as having to embrace technology such as teleconferencing via Skype or Zoom — at least until the vaccine is unveiled — but we will emerge after the crisis just like before, and maybe even better!

April 19, 2020 0

Be resilient and ready for rebound

By Michael Tay, Johor MCA Government and Coordinating Affairs chairman.

I would like to remind the public to remain resilient and be confident of an economic rebound from the coronavirus.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted that Malaysia’s economy will bounce back to a 9% growth next year, from an expected 1.7% contraction this year.

This is believed to be the fastest among the Asean-5 economies, which also comprise of Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

There’s a lot of theories going around now about the nature of the coronavirus, which can trigger paranoia. What we need now is as much credible information as possible and every country, including China, has to be forthcoming about what they know about the virus. This is not the time to be saving face or pointing fingers. The main narrative should be to save lives and economies so that normalcy will return.

Actually, if you think about it, an increase in the number of cases of patients who tested positive for Covid-19 may not be a bad thing. The reason for the lockdown was to break the chain of the spread of the virus. We want to flush those who have the virus from the streets so that they don’t go around infecting others.

The government and relevant authorities now have to beef up efforts to track down illegal foreign workers who may be infected but are just too afraid to seek medical help.

Sooner or later, the lockdown will be lifted.

The coronavirus pandemic brings to mind the AIDs phenomenon. Until today there is no vaccine for AIDS but because there is sufficient information about AIDs, we know how to prevent it.

Similarly, we are fearful of Covid-19 because we are still groping in the dark, with the vague and distorted information that we have. For lives and economies to get back on track again, we need to know everything about Covid-19.

If we don’t know this “enemy” yet by the time the MCO is lifted, we will be paranoid and fearful.

For now, all borders should remain closed. We should not permit travellers to come in yet as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, we have to be optimistic. Have faith in our leaders. Have faith in yourself that we can get through this if we continue to practice social distancing.

April 17, 2020 0

Hospitals receive medications worth RM3,000

Doctors and healthcare workers in Johor who are treating Covid-19 patients today saw a ray of hope when they received medications worth RM3,000 today.

Paracetamol and azithromycin were contributed by Johor MCA Government Coordinating Affairs chairman Michael Tay, who recently also led a team of volunteers to distribute canned drinks and packed food to medical frontliners.

As Tay had earlier promised, the medicines bought from private pharmacies upon getting advice from a qualified medical doctor, were given to the medical team locked in a battle with the coronavirus pandemic.

Tay, who is also the former Hospital Sultanah Aminah visitors board chairman, said the medicines would be used to treat patients at the Permai Hospital and Hospital Enche’ Besar Hajjah Khalsom, aka Kluang Hospital.

“We always keep in touch with Dr Aman Rabu (Johor state Health Director) who updates us on the current needs of health workers.

“I learnt today that more than 400 patients who were infected with Covid-19 and were admitted to Permai Hospital and Kluang Hospital have been discharged so far. The mortality rate was only two to three percent and those who succumbed had weak immune systems.

“With proper medication and rest which can build up one’s immune system, recovery is quite certain. There’s hope for those who have contracted Covid-19 with these medications and the dedicated doctors at work.

“We believe these medications that we’ve contributed will reinforce the recovery process, and we will supply more when needed. But the public also needs to observe the lockdown seriously as we need to flatten the curve.

“A total of 250 personal protective equipments (PPE) will also be given out when the supply from China arrives,” Tay said after handing over the medicines at the Permai Hospital.

*Tay (3rd from left) handing over the medications to Dr Fahmi (4th from left)*

Showing appreciation to Covid-19 frontliners

These are trying times for everyone. Some will just stay at home and complain of boredom or lash out at others without thinking of the bigger picture. Some will rise to the challenge and continue to deliver public service to the people that need it.

Among the few good men out there who isn’t “all talk and no action” is Johor MCA Government Coordinating Affairs chairman Michael Tay who recently led a team of 25 volunteers to distribute 1,200 canned drinks and packed food to the frontliners of Kluang Hospital and Hospital Permai in Johor Bahru, namely the doctors and all medical staff.

Michael Tay and team distributing food and drinks to frontliners

Tay, who is also the former Hospital Sultanah Aminah visitors board chairman, wanted to show his appreciation to the frontliners who had been working tirelessly to serve patients since the pandemic started. Although the situation in Johor is under control as there are currently sufficient ventilators, breathing tubes and beds, Tay learnt that the hospitals are facing a shortage of medicines and PPE suits.

Tay and his team will also be contributing paracetamol and azithromycin to the two hospitals as soon as the supplies arrived.

“I have already placed the orders and they should be arriving soon. I hope to deliver them to the hospitals by early next week,” Tay said, adding that he is also scouting for medical visors and PPE suits and appeal to non-governmental to chip in if they can.

Besides the food and drinks, Tay and his team also contributed face shields for doctors to enter the ward where Covid-19 patients are being treated.

The team also contributed face shields to doctors

“At first I didn’t understand the need for a lockdown, but now after talking to the hospital staff I’m beginning to understand the need for a lockdown. It is not to overwhelm the hospitals.

“There are two types of quarantine. One is self-quarantine and the other is to be quarantined at the hospital.

“Now if you have minor symptom, you should take paracetamol and isolate yourself in a room so as not to infect the other members of your family. If your condition worsens, you should take azithromycin which is an antibiotic. But if you have respiratory problems, you need to go to the hospital immediately as they have oxygen tanks.

“Social distancing is the new norm now. A lockdown is necessary to flatten the curve. Together we can do this,” Tay said, adding that Malaysia has its own model to handle Covid-19.

“We cannot follow Singapore or other countries because the density and culture is different for every country. Singapore is densely-populated while Malaysia is not. If everyone practises what they’ve been told — maintain 6ft. from one another, wear masks when they are outdoors, do not congregate — we should be able to stop the multiplication of the virus and life will get back to normal again.“It is vital to boost up your immunity system and please do not offend China. They are powerful and rich. We need all the help we can get now to get over this crisis!” Tay added.

After food and drinks, next will be *paracetamol and azithromycin* while Tay also scouts for visors

March 29, 2020 1