Dear honorable prime minister,

I write this letter sharing the concern of the rakyat over the outbreak of the third wave of the pandemic, which appears that the government is fighting a losing war. I believe you are also concerned and that was why you advised the Agong to declare an emergency. But I was appalled that even to date, even after the emergency has been declared about a week ago, and with the whole country’s resources and authority in your hands, yet there is no announcement of a blueprint or direction on how you will lead the country to fight this war.

The only thing I have been hearing is that your cabinet is still negotiating with the private hospitals to rope them in in this battle. We cannot be taking our own sweet time as people are dying daily.

Mr PM, time is not on our side and if you do not take immediate and drastic action, more lives will be lost, and we will be fighting a losing battle.

May I suggest the following, Mr PM?

1. Conscript every available medical staff for ‘war’, including the private sector and if you have to pay them, then pay them accordingly.

• This battle is extensive. Rope in the private sector and even the trainee doctors and nurses into action.
• Bring in the army doctors and nurses.
• For simple medical procedures like swab tests – train more people to handle it. You need many people to handle the tests and to process it.

2. Get the army to work with private sectors to build more hospitals or quarantine centres and equip them with all the needed medical facilities.

We are in for a long haul in this battle.

• China has proven that they can build a hospital within a few days, why can’t we? Especially during this emergency, you have everything at your disposal.
• Equip the hospitals with oxygen tanks, and etc. If finance is an issue, I believe the rakyat willing to donate and stand in solidarity with the government to rescue lives in time as this.

3. For the MCO to work, it must be drastic. You cannot try to juggle and save both the economy and lives.

If the situation is not drastic, you may juggle. But it is drastic now. You can only choose one. Choose to save lives and stabilise the situation and then the economy will be able to grow again.

4. Cut 50% of all the salaries of all your ministers.

They can still survive and live. They won’t die. The rakyat is suffering. May I say respectfully, Mr PM, that it is not proper for you or your ministers to enjoy the perks and salaries of a minister when most of your ministers has to stay at home most of the time, doing very little or almost nothing (except yourself, being the PM). If you do this, you will win the support of the rakyat. Hard decisions need to be made during hard times.

I hope you will listen to the rakyat, and bring the nation forward in this battle.

Thank you, Mr PM. – January 17, 2021.

* Jeffrey Han 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.