AFTER the long Raya weekend, Malaysians on social media would surely have come across viral photos of snaking lines of traffic on the highways. Among the photos that were most shared were of the Karak Highway, KL-bound from the east coast.

Let’s address the elephant in the room: the traffic jam during the Raya break cannot be attributed to work alone. I’d go out on a limb and say many of those stuck in the bumper-to-bumper crawls on the road after the Raya holidays were people who had flout the interstate travel ban to celebrate the festival in their kampung.

Of course, some of them had valid reasons to travel, but I am sure a sizeable number of them did not. Many might claim to have the approval of the International Trade and Industry Ministry and the police to travel for work during Raya.

But let’s face it: Malaysians are world-beaters when it comes to finding legal loopholes and workarounds. Under the pretext of “work”, many would apply to travel to their hometowns to be with their families. And the authorities would be hard pressed not to approve such applications, especially if they came with official documents bearing company letterheads, which are not difficult to produce anyway.

Granted, a large chunk of the approved applications fall into a grey area. “Work” can be loosely defined, including duties that require interstate travel. But have these travellers forgotten their moral responsibility to themselves and others?

Have these people forgotten that the Covid-19 is not just still lingering in the community, but has unleashed a wave of assault that is frightening and deadly? Have these people forgotten how last year’s Sabah elections saw dozens killed from the coronavirus, not to mention the havoc it has wreaked on the health of thousands and the knock-on socio-economic disruptions? 

Late last year, a Sarawak resident who flew back to her hometown in Sibu to attend her father’s funeral sparked the Pasai cluster, which led to over 2,600 infections and 29 deaths. Do these people who travel back to their hometowns want a repeat of that? 

The irony is that many of these people who flout Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) had complained about the supposed government’s failure to contain the spread of the coronavirus. They complained on and on about #KerajaanGagal on social media and criticised the government for having double standards when certain VIPs got a slap on the wrist for SOP violations.

Sure, the government could have addressed these issues better. But two wrongs don’t make a right. If the public do not adhere to the SOPs – not just to the letter but to the spirit of them – then our war against Covid-19 is made that much harder to win by the very people who, ironically, complain that the government is not doing enough to fight the virus. – May 19, 2021. 

* Abdul Hakim Dahlan 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.