SEVERAL months back Malaysia seemed to be winning the war against Covid-19, testimony of the decreasing numbers of cases and deaths. I was confident all Malaysians too were so relieved when Malaysia, through the strategic leadership of our prime minister, his ministers, highly respected director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, and advisers from the Health Ministry and National Security Council had succeeded in containing the rise of cases and deaths in Malaysia.

I had written an article on how Malaysia measured up to this fight against Covid-19 to share the country’s prescription for success, which was published in one of Malaysia’s newspapers. Furthermore we were all jubilant when a relaxed movement-control order allowed Malaysians to have a little more freedom to meet relatives, enjoy shows at the cinemas and dine outside with family members and friends after a long period of self-isolation at home following strict standard operating procedure and guidelines.

Sadly arising from the Sabah polls events, our virus cases and deaths experienced a sudden great increase, alarming and worrying many of us. Each day we were glued to the news hoping against hope for the numbers to decrease. However these hopes were not to be fulfilled. Instead we kept receiving increasing alarming figures of Covid-19 cases and deaths, until it reached the highest of above 3,000 cases per day.

Many Malaysians started to wonder and worry why is there no strict rules being implemented to try to curb this worrying trend. To the horror of Malaysians we suddenly learn of more political turmoils that we all fear will ultimately destabilise not only our beloved country but more frighteningly it will destabilise and cause great chaos to the current system put in place to fight Covid-19, which has been successful in mitigating this pandemic prior to the Sabah events.

Although, syukur Alhamdulilah, my family and I are safe from this pandemic but we feel extremely sad and very sympathetic when we see photographs of exhausted front-liners catching some sleep along corridors after days and nights working tirelessly to help virus patients, when we see the news of doctors and nurse with the coronavirus dying and unable to touch or hug their beloved ones before losing out to this pandemic and the death of an ambulance driver due to his extreme exhaustion of driving virus patients to the hospital.

Although we are safe and healthy, thanks to the Almighty, but out heart goes to virus patients and front-liners. We are praying for Malaysia to not lose this war and hope there will be more recovery and if possible no more deaths so no one will need to lose their loved ones to this pandemic.

But alas our news are now also filled with political turmoil, of parties making changes to their original pledges thus causing disruptions in number of majorities of numbers in political parties resulting in the current government’s political instability. This truly saddens us as we know that in order to fight the pandemic, all Malaysians, including politicians, must be united.

Hence I would like to appeal to all Malaysians, especially politicians to please think of the rakyat’s health and safety first and unite as a strong front to think and strategise on how best Malaysia can and must fight this pandemic that is separating loved ones in the most terrible manner, especially imposing conditions that loved ones cannot touch nor be near their families even in death.

Respected ministers and deputy ministers and parliamentarians, please kindly remember the tremendous sadness and heartaches of families who have lost their loved ones to this terrible pandemic and the current increasing number of Covid-19 cases and deaths sparked by political events in Sabah.

In view of this, I would like to appeal to all respected leaders, to please kindly unite together to fight Covid-19 as Team Malaysia – for us to win this dreadful war against one of the world’s worst pandemics to befall mankind, for Malaysians and for our beloved country Malaysia. – January 14, 2021.

* Sheriffah Noor Khamseah Al-Idid Syed Ahmad Idid reads The Malaysian Insight.

* 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.