SINCE the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic began in our country, Sabah is the state recording the highest number infections daily. 

Despite the conditional movement-control order (CMCO) and enhanced MCO (EMCO) having been enforced in the state for almost a month, the situation has not improved. Surely, such grave situations deserve more attention, having piqued our curiosity.

‘Missing’ groups

Yes, there is no doubt there are some “missing and underestimated” elements in the current Covid-19 strategy in Sabah.

Since the first day of the CMCO in red zones, such as Semporna and Tawau, the state government has started a food aid programme in the affected areas. Even though the state government distributed food rations to affected residents, the help seemed inadequate. 

Some claimed they have not received any food aid since the first day of the EMCO. Therefore, they were forced to break the law to find food to feed their family.

A viral video of Pakcik Ladja trying his very best rowing his broken sampan to reach out to a marine police speedboat to inform the authorities that the villagers were out of food, is testament to that. An officer subsequently explained that some people might be left out of the census record; therefore, they were not able to receive food aid from the government. 

Obviously, this is the missing part in the current strategy to prevent privation that might happen during the EMCO period. If the official census list did miss some Malaysians, it would likely not include the undocumented or stateless communities in affected areas.

Lest we forget, many of the cases are in the east coast, which has a higher concentration of poor and undocumented residents.

Most importantly, undocumented migrants living in Sabah are left out. It was reported that the Health Ministry is facing difficulties getting the cooperation of undocumented migrants, who have tested positive, to get them treated and quarantined to prevent the spread of Covid-19. 

In addition, Malaysians or documented migrants who test positive fear they may expose their family members or friends who are undocumented or stateless, to enforcement officers. They might then refuse to inform Health officers about where they have been or avoid treatment at hospital.

As a result, Health officers might encounter difficulties in classifying existing clusters and tracking sources of infection effectively, making it difficult to control the spread of the virus in the communities.

In fact, the growing number of undocumented migrants is a long-standing social problem in Sabah. This pandemic highlights the need for the state government to face the elephant in the room.

Lack of medical infrastructure

During the first MCO, the video titled “24 Hours on Tree Challenge” by Sabahan student Veveonah Mosibin went viral on social media and gained politicians’ attention regarding the issue of internet connectivity in Sabah. The blame game played by the politicians frustrated netizens.

The saga only ended when Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin clarified his statement on Veveonah and issued an apology.

Although the incident has passed, it nonetheless shows the scarcity of infrastructure in Sabah. The Covid-19 crisis in Sabah also indicates insufficient medical infrastructure. 

According to the 2016 household Income and basic amenities survey report, only 74% of households are less than 5km from public health facilities. In addition, Sabah is currently lacking in medical equipment, too. The health indicator data for 2018 shows that Sabah has the lowest proportion of doctors, nurses and pharmacists in the country. 

For example, the doctor to population ratio in Sabah is 1:856, compared with the national average of 1:530. Pharmacist to population ratio is 1:5,097, compared with the national average of 1:2,143. Nurse to population ratio is 1:450, compared with the national average of 1:304.

Thus, when the outbreak occurred, it was not surprising to find that Sabah hospitals were understaffed. Consequently, the armed forces set up field hospitals in Sabah to enhance the capacity of its epidemic prevention infrastructure and to cope with isolation needs. 

At the same time, medical assets were deployed to Sabah and the Health Ministry mobilised nurses and Health officers from Peninsular Malaysia to help out. Again, the long overdue issues in Sabah became prominent during this crisis. 

The situation is worrying if the pandemic shows no sign of letting up. The special relief for Sabah should be distributed as soon as possible, apart from the urgent needs of health resources and financial assistance earmarked for Sabah.

To prevent another pandemic in the future, the government should acknowledge that there are issues that should not be swept under the carpet.

It is time to settle long overdue issues, particularly the large number of undocumented and stateless people and the lack of medical infrastructure in Sabah. – November 9, 2020.

* Esther Sinirisan Chong is a member of Agora Society. She was born and raised in the Land Below the Wind. Her research interest lies in education and government policies, and the history and heritage of East Malaysia.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.